RIYADH — A new partnership launching Thursday brings together leading Premier League football club and current Club World Cup Champions, Liverpool FC and Pearson, the world’s learning company, to offer international sports industry qualifications designed to provide pathways to careers in sport, fitness and physical activity for young people and adults.

Pearson and Liverpool FC will create co-branded BTEC sport, fitness and physical activity sector qualifications, available to overseas learners, including in the KSA from September 2020.

The new qualifications will combine the club’s experience of delivering an authentic club coaching program to young people around the world through its international academy program, with Pearson’s global expertise in developing high quality qualifications that meet the needs of the industry and employers.

Young people and adults wishing to pursue and make progress in their careers will acquire up-to-date industry knowledge, skills and behaviors that open doors to a range of exciting careers in sport, such as coaching, management, facilities operations and fitness instruction.

Building on Liverpool FC’s experience as a major sports employer, the BTEC will ensure that learners have their learning brought to life in real world sports contexts.

The easy-to-access modular BTEC qualifications will enable learners to engage in bitesize learning, take short courses or a full 2-year program. Units include health and wellbeing, sports psychology, nutrition and fitness.

The BTEC will provide learners with a range of transferable skills and behaviors that are highly valued by employers through units in business, technology and self-employment, as well as developing the skills and knowledge to tackle two of the biggest health issues of our age - physical fitness and mental wellbeing.

The new BTEC aims to inspire learners among Liverpool FC’s millions of fans to develop their skills and knowledge and gain a high-quality qualification that opens up new global career opportunities and elevates sports education and professionalisation around the world.

Cindy Rampersaud, senior vice president BTEC and apprenticeships at Pearson, commented: “The sport and physical activity sector offers a wide range of exciting and rewarding career opportunities. Through our collaboration with Liverpool FC, learners will benefit from the most cutting-edge knowledge and skills they need to build a career in this industry, and gain a BTEC qualification that is recognised as relevant and high quality by employers around the world.”

Billy Hogan, managing director and chief commercial officer, Liverpool FC, said: “Pearson is a global leader in the education industry, helping young people and adults get their foot on the career ladder by creating pathways into the workplace. We’re looking forward to working closely with them to develop these new sports-specific BTEC qualifications to open up new global career opportunities and develop sports education around the world.” — SG