In honour of National Mentoring Month, we wanted to shine a spotlight on England Football Learning’s Mentee Development Programme, held at the home of England Football - St. George’s Park.
SGP hosted the first meeting of the programme in 2022, bringing together 10 aspirational coaches to begin their exciting mentee journey. Supported by The Chelsea Foundation, the Mentee Development Programme offers an opportunity for five female and five male coaches to gain vital experience and exposure to The FA’s Technical Department, as well as developmental involvement with professional clubs.
The initiative is aligned with the FA’s wider coach inclusion and diversity programme, designed to address the long-standing inequalities for coaches from Black, Asian, and mixed heritage backgrounds to develop and prosper in the game.
Currently in its second year, the revamped programme will make use of the multitude of facilities available at St. George’s Park throughout the season. The mentees will be involved in one-to-one mentoring workshops and skills analysis sessions, as well as observing England training camps to allow them to experience and learn in elite football environments.
Butch Fazal, Coach Inclusion and Diversity Manager at the FA perfectly summarised the objectives of the Mentee Development Programme and its importance to the landscape of English football. He said: “The aim is to offer mentees an opportunity to accelerate their careers into the professional game. We have a world-class building here and I hope we can offer a world-class programme. I think one thing that the industry is recognising is the importance of diversity and inclusion.
“Inclusion for me is the environment that we set. The programme itself is a positive action plan for a reason, as there are still challenges in the game. I think that this is a key programme that is going to address those challenges and talent will shine through in the end.”
Watch the video above showcasing the first meeting of the England Football Learning’s Mentee Development Programme, held at St. George’s Park.
Visit England Football Learning to find out more about the Mentee Development Programme.
