Education scores for Netan

Birmingham City FC is forging a pioneering Football Development Programme in partnership with City College, Birmingham.

In acknowledging that there are a lot of talented players going unseen in such a large area as the West Midlands and that the club’s Academy is limited in the amount of scholars who can be welcomed on board each year, the Community Department has initiated a programme to discover and nurture local sporting skills and give the football club a wider talent base.

Students train at Wast Hills training ground in the morning and then do their academic work in the afternoon at St Andrew’s Stadium.

The key aim of the programme is to give young people aged between 16 and 18, the opportunity to continue their participation in football in a professional environment, without compromising their education.

Successful applicants will study a BTEC First Diploma in Sport or a BTEC National Diploma in Sport, depending on their entry qualifications. In addition, they will study the Level 1 and Level 2 Certificates in Football Coaching, which gives them the opportunity to work for the club’s Community Department throughout the year.

One player to reap the benefits of the programme is Netan Nico Sansara who has gone on to sign a professional contract at Walsall FC and made his England Under 18 debut against France.

Netan’s achievement of a BTEC National Diploma in Sport with Distinction, as well as A Level Maths and his Level One and Two Football Coaching Certificates is seen as a true success story and inspiration to all other young players at the club.

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