The Leeds United Foundation played host to a number of students from Garforth Academy recently, with a special careers event held for Year 10 and Year 11 pupils.

The event was held at Elland Road and used to give young people the opportunity to hear from a range of staff from both the club and the club’s official charity and the chance to learn more about the different roles behind the scenes at a football club.

Garforth Academy have been working alongside the Leeds United Foundation for the last few seasons, and the careers event at Elland Road is one of the trips that is embedded into the curriculum for their Level One Work Skills BTEC.

During their exclusive visit the students were treated to a tour of the stadium and facilities, before they had the chance to speak with staff playing a variety of roles and serving different departments, such as Human Resources, Communications, and coaches within the Foundation.

All of the students who took part in the trip thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and left feeling more confident about the thought of visiting other workplaces. Many of the students taking part in the course also fit one or more from the social mobility criteria, whether that was receiving free school meals or having special educational needs, which was all taken into consideration ahead of the visit.

The Careers Lead at Garforth Academy, Lauren Llewellyn, said, “We recognise the value of this opportunity for the students to explore a workplace and understand the variety of roles within a particular organisation. All the staff involved were fantastic at articulating this message and building the confidence of the students. A huge thank you to everyone involved.”