Aston Villa and Manchester City have today confirmed they will be the next two clubs to take part, introducing community programmes to deliver education to local 13 and 14 year olds in curriculum time. The intention is to extend the programme to include all Premier League football clubs, with support from their Regional Development Agencies.
The initiatives will be modelled on the successful enterprise academies currently run at Middlesbrough FC and Blackburn Rovers, which have already helped local children improve their entrepreneurial skills and increase their awareness of business planning and finance.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said:
"I have always felt that football can be a powerful force for good in our society - projects like Midnight Football and Kickz already offer all sorts of help to young people.
"By working with local schools and colleges, clubs can introduce young people to the realities of the world of business in a way they relate to. The next Alan Sugar, Peter Jones or Karen Brady might end up starting their own business through a love of football.
"Over the next few years we are going to work with the Premier League and football clubs around the country to harness the talent of youngsters everywhere. Middlesbrough FC and Blackburn Rovers have already done some brilliant work offering business skills to young people, and I hope that other clubs follow suit."
Launching the roll out at Middlesbrough FC's Enterprise Academy, John Hutton said:
"These initiatives bring business to life by using real football club examples to make enterprise more relevant to young people. Through designing football kits, taking part in 'management challenges' and learning about real life budgetary issues like season ticket sales, kids learn what it means to be an entrepreneur.
"Helping a new generation of youngsters build confidence in their ability to set up and run their own companies is essential if we're to make the UK the most enterprising country in the world.
"I thank the Premier League and football clubs across the country for their commitment to making this a reality."
Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore said:
"The scale of community engagement and activity that goes on at Premier League clubs was unimaginable even as little as ten years ago. However, our clubs are now involved in an enormous range of different projects, helping to tackle an equally wide variety of issues.
"The interest that many young people have in football means that Premier League clubs have a unique opportunity to be able to influence and educate. The world of business and enterprise is an example of how a subject, when linked to how a football club operates, is suddenly made that bit more interesting."
George Cooke, Chairman of Middlesbrough Football Club in the Community, said:
"We are absolutely delighted that Middlesbrough FC's groundbreaking initiative is the inspiration behind football enterprise schemes being extended to other football clubs throughout the country.
"Since 2002, we have touched the lives of more than 30,000 youngsters in the Tees Valley and, thanks to further support from One NorthEast and the Premier League, will now extend our work to inspire entrepreneurial skills to young people who are considering a business start-up."
