Yorkshire cricketers score first sports Apprenticeship

Yorkshire Cricketers awarded the Advanced
Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence

Cricket champions awarded new certificate from Sports Apprenticeship that nurtured talents of British Olympics team

Yorkshire cricket champions, James Finch, James Lee, Oliver Hannon-Dalby and Rochelle Petty, have become the first young sportspeople to be awarded the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE), a new qualification designed to provide key skills and qualifications to young cricketers aged 16-19.

The four cricket high-fliers celebrated their achievement and received the new qualification at a special presentation by England and Wales Cricket Board performance manager, David Graveney, during the interval of a recent One Day International at the Headingley ground in Leeds.

James Finch, from Leeds, said: “I really enjoyed the NVQ course and feel this will be invaluable to me as something to fall back on should my cricket career not kick on as I would hope it will do.”

In an innovative partnership between the LSC and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), players attending cricket academies can gain additional qualifications and skills whilst furthering their cricket careers through the AASE programme. The AASE has also helped to nurture the talents of six of the British team in the Beijing Olympics including Rebecca Adlington, the 19-year-old who became Britain’s first Olympic swimming champion by winning two gold medals for the 400m and 800m freestyle.

The four apprentices attend the Yorkshire CCC Academy and have reached the key stages of the Apprenticeship; working for 780 hours (the equivalent of 2 ‘A’ Levels), achieving Key Skills at Level 2 in communication and application, a BTEC National Award in Sport, and the ECB delivered NVQ element of the qualification.

Margaret Coleman, regional director for the LSC in Yorkshire and the Humber, said: "Apprenticeships can open doors to many careers in a wide variety of sectors, including sports. The AASE programme has been extremely successful in Yorkshire and the Humber since its launch, and it continues to help young athletes on their quest for success. Congratulations to today's AASE recipients, along with our other AASE apprentices in Beijing - it's great to see British athletes achieving success, both at home and abroad."

The NVQ Level 3 in Sporting Excellence includes education on physical conditioning, lifestyle, nutrition, business management and media training, providing a portfolio of understanding for young cricketers as they embark on their senior careers.

All 16-18 year olds within First Class County Academies are eligible to join the scheme, which lasts approximately 22 months. By December 2008, a further 49 players are expected to complete the Apprenticeship.

For further information visit: www.skillsactive.com/training/apprenticeships/aase or call 020 7632 2012