CONTEXT Malmö FF is a professional football club affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund, one of the 24 district organisations of the Swedish Football Association. In partnership with Malmö Borgarskola and Procivitas Gymansieskola, Malmö FF provides a Sports Academy Programme in Football that enables talented athletes to develop their sporting potential whilst achieving vocational qualifications. The students are recruited for their athletic ability with the primary aim of preparing them for life as a professional athlete. The programme also provides additional skills and vocational qualifications to ensure a smooth transition to a second career if necessary. OBJECTIVES The primary aim of the project is to further enhance and improve the vocational training and development of students at the Malmö FF Academy. By maintaining and strengthening the existing partnership links with Southampton FC in the UK, the project will also aim to provide greater exit and progression opportunities for students upon completion of the Academy programme. The project will have 3 overarching strategic objectives: 1) Facilitating the transfer of European training methods, development environments, techniques and philosophies into both the Malmö FF Academy programme and students. 2) Exposing the students to the European opportunities in both sport and other careers so these can be explored and more readily understood, accepted and pursued in the future. 3) Embedding LLP principles into the training and development programme and working cultures in order to equip students with the aptitude and skills to pursue employment, either within sport or outside of it, throughout their career. NUMBER AND PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS The group of 25 participants will be selected from the 16-19 year old (male) student footballers at Malmö FF who will form part of the Academy programme in 2014/15. Students are recruited primarily for their football ability and therefore encompass a wide range of academic abilities and incorporate a broad mix of socioeconomic backgrounds. PROJECT ACTIVITIES The majority of the work placement activities will take place at Southampton FC, including: - Regular training sessions to address the defined sports performance targets. - Games versus high quality English youth teams. - Daily feedback and evaluation sessions to confirm goal setting/reflection. Southampton FC has outstanding links at a local, regional and national level which will enable Malmö FF to enhance the work placement activities of participants. For example: - Access to other professional English Football League clubs with activities to include training sessions and games at their world class training facilities. - A visit to the England National Football Technical Centre in Burton. - Observation of a live Premier League or Championship fixture. METHODOLGY Malmö FF will use the principles of the European Quality Charter for Mobility to set goals and define tasks for the key elements of the project: 1) INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE: production of clear and accessible resources. 2) LEARNING PLAN: clearly defining the project objectives and the role of each partner in achieving them. 3) PERSONALISATION: pre-visit assessment of participants' desired learning outcomes. 4) PREPARATION: a structured preparation programme tailored to individual needs. 5) LANGUAGE: provision of formal and informal language training. 6) LOGISTICS: a formal contract to be signed by both parties outlining practical and logistical responsibilities. 7) MENTORING: provision of suitably qualified staff to facilitate achievement of individual goals and ensure integration. 8) RECOGNITION: delivery of formal instruments to recognise individual learning outcomes. 9) EVALUATION: comprehensive and objective evaluation of all aspects of the project. 10) RESPONSIBILITIES: agreement by all parties on their roles and responsibilities in the successful delivery of the project, formalised in writing via a Memorandum of Understanding and individual participant Learning Plans. IMPACTS The impacts on participants are expected to include: - Achievement of recognised qualifications. - Development of life skills and experience that can be utilised throughout participants' education and careers. - Enhanced cultural and linguistic skills, facilitating openness to new opportunities both in the UK and Europe. - Improved knowledge and understanding of the European opportunities in sport and other careers. The impacts on Malmö FF are expected to include: - Enhancement of the Academy programme both in terms of improved technical sporting quality of students and coaches, and also student achievement rates. - Implementation of best practice across the Academy programme and also the wider club activities. - Improved exit and progression opportunities for students, both within sport and outside of it, and in Sweden and Europe.