Industry leaders to share employability advice with players at transition seminar

Rugby League players develop a wealth of transferable skills during their careers which employers away from the sporting world both appreciate and covet.

Sadly, some players often don’t realise how employable they are, or know how to make the most of their qualities when it comes to choosing their next career.

To address this issue, Rugby League Cares is showcasing the value of transferable skills in a third online workshop held during Career Transition Month, when leading figures from three key industries will share tips and advice with the playing community.

The workshop takes place across three separate sessions on Wednesday May 26 between 4.00pm and 7.00pm and is open to all current full-time, part-time and recently retired players.

Each session will be led by presenters from three industries: education, the NHS and animal welfare. The presenters will outline what vacancies are available both currently and historically and how players can put themselves in a position to clinch the roles.

The sessions will run separately, allowing players to join at either 4pm, 5pm or 6pm and stay for as many of the sessions as they wish.

At 5pm, Jon Skurr, the School Leader for the Carlton Academy Trust, will outline the nature of the Academy Trust and why they are so interested in ex-professional sports people as future employees of the schools within the Trust.

He will also talk about the links with RL Cares and RL clubs and how they are beginning to help current players to realise their career goals.

The session is an ideal opportunity for a player interested in working within education who aren’t sure what is available apart from teaching. Spoiler alert: the answer is there’re lots of career opportunities on offer!

As well as a school leadership role, Jon has past experience in professional sport at domestic and international level. In his previous role as Head of an Olympic player pathway programme, he has significant experience in talent development and talent transfer.

Jon has recently been given the responsibility of developing a talent development programme for the Multi Academy Trust to ensure that they can fast track sports performers into education roles and potentially school leadership roles.

At 5pm, John Heritage, the Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, will speak about careers with one of the UK’s biggest employers, the National Health Service.

Since February 2021, John has been providing some support to RL Cares in relation to developing its post-pandemic strategy and supporting the charity to develop relationships with the NHS and care sector.  John will give an insight into the staffing issues that the NHS may face post-pandemic and how the NHS will be working with RL Cares to provide recruitment pathways for players.  In doing so, he’ll explain why he and others within the Trusts believe that RL players would be good recruits for the NHS.

At 6pm, Emma Billington of Dogs4Rescue, a small, independent dog rescue based in Manchester, will present about career opportunities in animal welfare.

Emma will talk about her vision for the future and the need Dogs4Rescue now has for someone with leadership skills and the ability to work within, and manage, a team.  She will give an insight into how the charity work and its vision for the future, as well as outlining what they are looking for in a future Operations Manager.

Players and former players who wish to join the seminar can book their place by clicking here