Two of the country’s most promising young swimmers are to tell MPs how their ground-breaking sport apprenticeship is helping to shape their careers.
17-year-olds Andrew Willis and Jenna Turner are taking part in an ‘Apprenticeships Reception’ hosted by the Associate Parliamentary Skills Group at the House of Lords on Wednesday 7 May 2008.
The event will highlight the success of the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) – an initiative that aims to meet the needs of young people to achieve sporting excellence as their main career goal while continuing with their education.
The swimmers are just two of the 235 athletes from swimming, diving, synchronised swimming and water polo who are currently involved in the AASE programme. Other success stories from the scheme include swimmers Jemma Lowe and Rebecca Addlington, who have both made the Beijing Games 2008; synchronised swimmers Jenna Randall and Olivia Allison who are also heading to China and divers Jodie McGroarty and Sarah Barrow, who both won gold at the British Championships this year.
Willis and Turner enrolled onto the AASE programme in September 2007 and have attended training camps and workshops as part of the programme.
The overall apprenticeship will be awarded to the swimmers by Skills Active after they have completed three components: a sports specific National Vocational Qualification, a Technical Certificate (made up of a minimum of 780 guided learning hours in qualifications such as GCSEs or BTEC Awards) and Key Skills in Numbers and Communications.
The cross-party event will give politicians the chance to learn about the scheme and try to encourage them to promote the good work of the apprenticeships nationally and within their constituencies. The Amateur Swimming Association’s Chief Executive Officer David Sparkes will also be attending in a strategic role.
And Turner is relishing the chance to talk about her experience with AASE. “It’s a good scheme because it offers a lot of support and you get an extra qualification at the end of it,” she said. “The event at the House of Lords should be good too - I’ve never spoken to politicians before so again this is something new I am doing because of the apprenticeship.”
Turner, who swims and trains at Ealing Swimming Club and is coached by Dave Heathcock, will be representing Great Britain at the World Youth Championships taking place in Mexico in July. She has already represented Great Britain at the European Championships 2007 and won a silver medal in the Medley Relay.
Willis, who trains at Bracknell Swimming Club and is coached by his dad Nigel Willis, recently made his first GB selection and will be representing Great Britain in the 200m Breaststroke at the European Junior Championships taking place in Serbia in July.
ASA National Education Officer Michelle Kiff said: “The feedback from the athletes about the programme has been really good and it will be great to get that message across to the MPs because they are the ones who can help to support the scheme and also make local employees and universities aware of the apprenticeship so they can recognize it as a qualification.”
-ENDS-
For further details contact Sharon Rose, Amateur Swimming Association PR Manager, on 01509 632 262, 07876 652318 or email sharon.rose@swimming.org
The Amateur Swimming Association is the English National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Open Water, and Synchronised Swimming. It organises competition throughout England, establishes the Laws of the Sport and operates comprehensive certification and education programmes for Teachers, Coaches and Officials as well as its renowned Learn To Swim Awards scheme. The ASA supports 1,220 affiliated swimming clubs through a National/Regional/County structure. The ASA aims to ensure everybody has an opportunity to learn to swim.
www.britishswimming.org
About Speedo®
Synonymous with swimwear, the iconic brand celebrates 80 years of dominance creating revolutionary new technologies, designs and innovations. In the 1920s Speedo® made history with the Racerback: the world’s first non-wool suit. In 2007 the legacy continues with the launch of Fastskin® FS-PRO - the fastest and most powerful lightweight suit on the market - and with Speedo®’s acclaimed designer collaborations with Comme des Garçons. As the world’s leading swimwear brand, Speedo® is passionate about life in and around the water, supporting swimming from beginners through to elite level. Speedo® is owned by Pentland Brands and distributed in over 170 countries around the world; to find out more visit: www.speedo.co.uk
About AASE
AASE is a Government funded initiative that has been designed to meet the needs of young people (aged 16-18) who have the realistic potential to achieve excellence in their sport and are seeking to perform at the highest level as their main career goal, whilst continuing with their education. Notionally taking two years to complete, the AASE framework will provide for the first time a structured national training and development route across all sports for talented young athletes, many of whom may go to represent their country on the world stage.
