Leading football club charity Foundation of Light is looking to recruit two apprentices to join the organisation.

Working in partnership with Sunderland College – who will deliver the training – the Foundation has vacancies for Business Administration and ICT Support apprentices.

Foundation of Light is the registered charity of Sunderland AFC and has grown to become one of the most pioneering sports charities in the UK, winning multiple awards for their ground-breaking sports, health, community and education programmes.

Based at the state-of-the-art community hub, the Beacon of Light in Sunderland, the charity also has outreach sites in South Tyneside, and County Durham.

Jamie Wright, Foundation of Light’s Managing Director said: “We are really excited about these new apprenticeship posts – we see apprenticeships as a great way to bring new talent into the organisation. Many of our current staff started off their careers as apprentices at the Foundation before progressing to become full time members of staff so apprenticeships have always been important for us.”

Sunderland College – part of leading college group Education Partnership North East alongside Northumberland College and Hartlepool Sixth Form College – is one of the largest apprenticeship training providers in the region.

Peter Robertson, Head of Business Development at Education Partnership North East, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to gain a career at one of the North East’s leading organisations. As an apprentice at the Foundation, the apprentices will learn the skills and qualifications that will serve them well for the rest of their careers.

“At Sunderland College we work with employers who are willing to fully support the development of apprentices and it’s plain to see that the value the Foundation is built on really lend themselves to the ethos of apprenticeships. We are delighted to working in partnership with them.”

Ryan Gill started off his career as an apprentice at the Foundation of Light and has now progressed to full-time Administration Assistant, said: “My apprenticeship with the Foundation of Light not only gave me the opportunity to achieve a qualification, and it also helped me gain the experience, skills and confidence that I needed to progress into full time employment.”

Why Education Partnership North East (EPNE)?

Highly commended - Employer of the Year, Sunderland Echo Portfolio Awards 2019

Engagement with Employers - Association of Colleges (AoC) Beacon Award 2017

(Sunderland College On-programme Survey 2017)

Selected by DfE for 2021 T Level pilot to deliver the new high-quality technical qualifications.

98% overall employer satisfaction - Employer Survey 2018/19