ATHLETE FUTURES: Elite athletes make superior employees says new University of Stirling research

Companies are invited to recruit an Olympian and hire a leader at Athlete Futures careers fair

Athletes have been shown to make exceptional employees according to new research from the University of Stirling.

The research conducted through the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust by Professor David Lavallee and Dr Pete Coffee from the University of Stirling demonstrates that being an elite athlete significantly impacts employability potential because they are more confident in their abilities to carry out broader roles in the workplace, and excel in identifying opportunities, taking action and lifting the productivity of their colleagues.

Companies and organisations are invited to attend the Athlete Futures careers fair at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry in 1 November where more than 300 elite athletes, including Olympians and Paralympians, will have the opportunity to meet employers from organisations as diverse as Aldi, Procter & Gamble, the London Stock Exchange and Goldman Sachs.

Professor Lavallee, who will be discussing the implications of the findings at the Athlete Futures event said: “The employment market is one of the toughest in history, not just for job seekers but also for employers. We are at the dawn of an unparalleled skills crisis across the world and witnessing a significant transformation of the workforce.

“Because jobs are changing so rapidly and it is nearly impossible to predict the competencies needed to succeed in even a few years, employability is not solely whether a person has the right skills or not; it’s also whether they have the potential to develop and adapt into fundamentally different and increasingly complex roles and environments.”

Liz Dimmock, CEO of Moving Ahead which is managing the careers fair on behalf of UK Sport, the British Olympic Association, the British Paralympic Association and the English Institute of Sport, said: “This research proves that athletes make exceptional candidates. The Athlete Futures event provides the missing link between athletes and employers. It is critical that we harness the skills and potential of this diverse sector of the UK workforce, and this careers fair is a real step forward.”

World-class athletes have exceptional transferrable skills including a commitment to excellence, natural leadership and resilience under extreme pressure. They are proven team players with strong communication skills. This week’s Heroes Parade in Manchester demonstrated the enormous respect Great Britain has for its athletes and has inspired many new employers to sign up to the event in a bid to add this influential future leadership element to their team.

Richard Branson famously advocates hiring athletes because they are goal driven and achievement oriented, learn from failure quickly and have ‘grit’.

Monica Relph, Senior Client and Programme Manager at Moving Ahead is also a former member of the GB rowing team. She said: “Elite athletes represent a unique talent pool that is full of potential. I can say from experience that bringing my athlete’s positive mindset to work has helped me progress my career quickly. Athletes bring in diverse ways of thinking, a total commitment to the team and discipline. They can also offer motivational speaking for your organisation and become a brand ambassador you will be proud of.”

Employers are asked to come to the event with tangible opportunities such as job shadowing, an internship, mentoring or a part or full-time job. Pledges so far include six-month internships, mentoring packages and a 360° shopfloor to boardroom experience.

All athletes attending have either retired after Rio or a previous Olympics or Paralympics, or they have their sights set on Tokyo 2020 Olympics and are planning their post-sport career. The Athlete Futures careers fair has been organised by Moving Ahead on behalf of UK Sport and in conjunction with the British Olympic Association, the British Paralympic Association and the English Institute of Sport to help athletes secure a fulfilling future after their sports career ends.

Companies, organisations and education providers that would like to attend the event can contact Monica Relph at Moving Ahead on 01189 406828 or monica@moving-ahead.org.

Notes to Editors

1.     Press enquiries to Timma Marett at timma@moving-ahead.org or on 01189 406828 / 07901 682219.

2.     Moving Ahead works to develop leaders in business and sport through our unique athlete transition programmes that offer corporate partners the opportunity to support and learn from an elite group of people who have dedicated their lives to performing at the highest level. We also design and deliver mentoring schemes and coaching programmes for sports and business leaders, and maintain a roster of exemplary and diverse keynote speakers that includes Olympic and Paralympic athletes, explorers, business leaders and world-class MCs.

3.     The objective of the University of Stirling research was to test whether a unique population – elite athletes who have made the transition from their sport into work - have ‘employability potential’. Our initial research involved an experiment inviting employers to evaluate curricula vitae for a typical entry-level graduate position in their organisation. Results demonstrated that engagement in sport elevates evaluations of potential job candidates (http://hdl.handle.net/1893/21104). The research then compared elite athletes who had made the transition from their sport into employment with matched employees who had not participated in sport.  The results demonstrate that being an elite athlete significantly impacts employability potential by being more confident in their abilities to carry out broader roles in the workplace through, for example, being more open to organisational changes. Further, athletes reported higher levels of identifying opportunities, taking action, and persevering until they brought about meaningful change. Athletes reported higher levels of taking personal initiative to have an impact on the world around them and being more able to make changes regarding job demands and job resources. Finally, athletes were reported by their supervisors to have superior job performance in their roles compared to the matched, control participants.  All relationships between the study variables were found to be positive and significant. Self-efficacy was also found to predict job performance and the relationship is explained through employability potential.  

4.     Findings from the research showed that engaging in elite sport elevates employer evaluations of potential job candidates; elite athletes making the transition into work possess essential employability skills; employers should view elite athletes in transition as valuable resources and capitalise on their extraordinary skills to manage challenging economic times.

5.     The research was first presented at the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust More than Medals event last week. More Than Medals is a campaign aimed at raising awareness of the benefits of world class athletes to our society and economy. The Dame Kelly Holmes Trust develops world class athletes beyond sport then supports them to deliver programmes that transform the lives of young people facing disadvantage.

PIONEERING SCHOOLS SCHEME ENSURES GIRLS DON’T MISS OUT ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF SPORT

#growthmindset #sportforchange

Maggie Alphonsi MBE, England’s greatest female rugby player, has joined a diverse group of leaders from sports, business and education to shape a national scheme that will encourage girls, boys, teachers and parents to get involved in female sport.

The programme, which is being developed by Women Ahead, aims to encourage girls and boys, parents, teachers, athletes and sporting bodies to increase youth engagement in female sport. It aims to increase positive perceptions of female sport in both boys and girls, which is arguably dented by the lack of media coverage of female sport.

Women Ahead’s ‘big idea’ is to create a national programme that takes boys and girls, their teachers and parents to female sporting events. It would also take athletes into schools to provide coaching and growth mindset training for the children and teachers. These sessions would create an opportunity where children can can truly connect with athletes as role models, learn about sport, and develop a true growth mindset. By engaging the adults, children are far more likely to stick to their chosen sports and be rewarded by all the social and economic benefits that will bring.

Maggie Alphonsi and Olympic medallist rower Sarah Winckless MBE attended the think tank at the Ricoh Womens Open Golf on Thursday 28 July, along with a diverse group of leaders to create a practical plan to set up the pilot scheme which is aims to pilot in some schools later this year.

Maggie Alphonsi said: “When girls get involved in sport, they learn how to succeed in life and how to deal with failure. The most important thing we can share with our children is the ability to set your mind to something and strive until you have achieved it. By getting girls and boys excited about top class female sport we set that bar high for them and can inspire them to achieve their best.”

Liz Dimmock, founder of Women Ahead said: “The importance of playing sport in creating critical life-skills, confidence, goal-setting, resilience, teamwork and positive attitudes to competition. Yet, significantly fewer girls play and engage in sport. This needs to shift. It is clear that sport creates positive mind-sets, networks and also academic success and Women Ahead is inspired and well positioned to bring together diverse minds and experiences to bring about fresh thinking and ultimately to create long-term change.”

Their discussion built on findings from a recent Women Ahead think tank which revealed that girls who don’t play sports are missing out on goal-setting and growth mindset skills necessary for success in the workplace. Fewer women have learned these skills as children and consequently fewer women are involved in top level business roles. Obesity and mental health problems are also on the rise in the UK and sport has repeatedly been shown to be an antidote to these.

Charles Cousins, Head of Youth and Sports Programmes at Women Ahead said: “It is also about developing a growth mindset – the belief that if you want to do something well you can, with determination, hard work and the support of your family, teachers and peers. We want to give children the opportunity to enjoy watching female sport and in turn develop a positive engagement with sport and all the benefits that it brings. Today we have gathered a diverse range of views, ideas, and expert opinions on how best to make this happen. Now we will sift through the evidence to shape the pilot scheme for later this year.”

Chas Moloney, marketing director, Ricoh UK & Ireland said: “As an organisation committed to positive change, Ricoh fully supports this drive to raise the profile of female sport among school children. Having been title sponsor of the Women's British Open since 2007, we know how transformative sport can be in inspiring people to work hard, commit to a goal and aim for success. By working with Women Ahead we hope to be able to instil future generations with these all-too important lessons, while driving greater gender diversity both on the sports field and in the workplace.”

Companies and sports organisations that would like to find out more about the scheme can contact Liz Dimmock at Women Ahead on 01189 406828 or liz@women-ahead.org.

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Notes to Editors

1.     Picture caption, Maggie Alphonsi MBE at the session. Also l-r Charles Cousins, golfer Charley Hull, and Women Ahead’s Liz Dimmock, Eira Parry, Rebecca Davies and Jane Booth.

2.     Women Ahead is an award-winning social enterprise that supports the development of women in sport and business. Women Ahead designs and manages mentoring schemes, workshops and learning materials, offers leading female speakers for events, and carries out research and consultancy. www.women-ahead.org

3.     See  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msKKOO3nWbE for a two minute video about Women Ahead.

4.     Fewer girls engage with sport although 75% say they want to be more active. Girls are the fastest growing demographic group of people taking up sport and yet 11-15 year-old girls are less likely to play for a school team than the boys, be a member of a sports club, or take part in any kind of sporting competition.

5.     Young people’s participation in sport improves their numeracy scores by 8% on average above non-participants. Underachieving young people who take part in sport see a 29% increase in numeracy skills and a 12 to 16% rise in other transferable skills. Returns on investment in sports programmes for at-risk youth are estimated at £7.35 of social benefit for every £1 spent – through financial savings to police, the criminal justice system and the community. (Source The Culture and Sport Evidence (CASE), led by the Department for Culture Media and Sport, has studied published evidence on the varied benefits of sport.)

6.     In 2014, only 0.4% of commercial sports sponsorship went to women. Female sports received just 5% of media coverage. UK sporting boards were heavily led by men, with just 22% of roles taken by women. There were six governing sports bodies with no female representation at all.

7.     Ricoh is a global technology company specialising in office imaging equipment, production print solutions, document management systems and IT services. Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in about 200 countries and regions. In the financial year ending March 2015, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 2,231 billion yen (approx. 18.5 billion USD).
The majority of the company's revenue comes from products, solutions and services that improve the interaction between people and information. Ricoh also produces award-winning digital cameras and specialized industrial products. It is known for the quality of its technology, the exceptional standard of its customer service and sustainability initiatives.
Under its corporate tagline, imagine. change. Ricoh helps companies transform the way they work and harness the collective imagination of their employees. For further information, please visit www.ricoh.co.uk

8.     https://www.facebook.com/RicohWomensBritishOpen

9.     The Ricoh Women’s British Open is one of the golfing highlights of the sporting calendar with the 40th Championship making its tenth appearance at the iconic Woburn Golf Club but first since 1999 and for the first time on the famed Marquess course.

10.  As one of only two women Major’s played outside the US, the Ricoh Women’s British Open is the most international major of the season with this year’s star-studded field boasting players from 26 different nations with more than 850 titles between them.

11.  The Ricoh Women’s British Open was founded by the LGU in 1976 and has been staged in conjunction with IMG, the world’s largest sports marketing company, since 1984. The event has been co-sanctioned by the LPGA and LET since 1994 and gained Major status in 2001.

12.  Ricoh are hugely committed to supporting women in sport and business. They are a founding parting to Women Ahead. This is the ninth year that Ricoh have sponsored the Women’s Open – and it a key part of their commitment to women in sport. Ricoh also sponsor ambassadors such as Joanna Konta (tennis) and Charley Hull (golf). Ricoh and Women Ahead won Sport Partnership of the Year at the recent Women’s Sports Trust Be A Game Changer Awards – in addition to Best Collaboration at the Corporate Engagement Awards.

Press enquiries to:-

1.     Women Ahead: Timma Marett at timma@moving-ahead.org or on 01189 406828 / 07901 682219.

2.     Ricoh: Hotwire PR (on behalf of Ricoh UK) - Alex Sanpera, , alex.sanpera@hotwirepr.com, +44 (0) 20 7608 4675 Tiziana Ruberto – PR Manager, tiziana.ruberto@ricoh.co.uk

Women Ahead founder wins Coaching at Work award for her ‘sheer impact, heart and soul’

Women Ahead founder Liz Dimmock has been named joint ‘External Coaching and Mentoring Person of the Year’ at the national Coaching at Work awards.

She was awarded the honour alongside Erik de Haan of Ashridge at Coaching at Work’s annual conference held in London on Wednesday 6 July.

Women Ahead is an award winning, world-class mentoring and change consultancy that drives equality to improve standards in business and sport. The social enterprise creates mentoring partnerships between and within the worlds of business and sport, including business leaders mentoring athletes, a first-of-its-kind programme.

The judging panel praised Liz saying:

“Liz’s work has been consistently powerful and effective. She puts huge energy into her passions and fights key battles with tenacity and humour.”

They added: “Her work is holistic with heart and soul,” and praised the "sheer impact" Liz has made, her "determination, and practical demonstration of thought-leading ideas."

Liz said: “It’s hugely rewarding to receive this award and for Women Ahead’s pioneering, collaborative work to be recognised by such a  highly regarded team at Coaching at Work. I passionately believe in the power of high quality mentoring to create positive change in individuals, organisations and society! At Women Ahead we believe that parity between men and women in the worlds of sport and business will benefit individuals, organisations and society as a whole, and we’re working towards this in everything we do. It’s fantastic to be able to make a difference.”

Liz has held commercial, coaching and leadership roles at IMG, KPMG, HSBC (where she was global head of coaching), and GP Strategies (Managing Partner). In 2012 she cycled the entire route of the Tour de France, one week ahead of the men's race, matching them stage for stage, riding 3,479kms in 21 days. This journey highlighted the inequalities in the sport she loves; the fact that there is no women's Tour de France (despite the clear physiological ability of women to complete it) was a driving factor in the creation of Women Ahead.

The Coaching at Work judging panel added that Liz won the award because of the "outstanding work she has done in the field of coaching and mentoring women" and because of the range of roles she has had across businesses. 

Girls denied access to sports lack competitive skills needed for workplace success

Girls are still not being given the same access to sport in schools as boys, leaving them less likely to learn about teamwork, goal-setting, the pursuit of excellence in performance and other achievement-oriented behaviours—critical skills necessary for success in the workplace.

Athletes and leaders in sports governance, education and the corporate world were invited to a think tank on youth perceptions of, and participation in, female sport at the Women's Hockey Champions Trophy at the Olympic Park in London on Thursday.

At the think tank led by social enterprise Women Ahead, primary school age girls reported being told by sports teachers that boys are much better than them. And with only a few hours dedicated to training primary school teachers how to coach sports during the year-long PGCE teacher training course, this misinformed approach is thought to be widespread.

Moving Ahead is calling on schools, athletes, parents, sports governing bodies and larger businesses to work together to create a national programme that encourages children to engage with sport – by asking athletes to give inspirational talks in schools, giving children tickets to major fixtures, encouraging them to get involved and by providing places on athlete/student mentoring and development programmes.

The ‘big idea’ is to use sport to coach children in having a ‘growth mindset’ – the belief that with hard work and dedication you can develop and succeed, no matter where you start from in terms of talent or intelligence. The goal is to instill a love of learning and resilience in children which will lead to success in sport and business as adults.

Liz Dimmock, founder and CEO of Women Ahead and Moving Ahead said: “If we are to increase the diversity of senior leadership roles, it is critical that we develop the growth mindset leadership skills of both boys and girls. Girls cannot be left less prepared for the highly competitive workplace than boys.”

Charles Cousins, Olympic rower and Head of Youth and Sports programmes at Moving Ahead, Women Ahead’s sport and business consultancy arm said: “Sport has changed my life and opened many doors for me. I may not have gone to university if I hadn’t been involved in sport. We want to set up a programme to amplify the power that sport has to shift the current societal attitudes and behaviours towards girls and women and we’re calling on people to get involved.”

From year 4 to year 6 in primary school, the proportion of girls participating in the recommended amount of sport and physical activity drops sharply, whilst the proportion of boys increases. By age 14, only 1 in 10 girls are doing enough physical activity to benefit their health, compared with roughly twice the number of boys of the same age.

At the roundtable event, Women Ahead explored and explained the current challenges, including minimal sports news in the media, with just 7% of national coverage dedicated to female sports. The mentoring consultancy then led a discussion and debate on ways to kick-start practical actions to address these. It outlined and asked for feedback on ways to engage differently with boys, girls, families, schools and corporates to combat these challenges.

Beth Brook-Marciniak, EY Global Vice Chair has said: “Sport teaches intangible leadership skills that can’t be taught in the classroom. 94% of senior business women in the C-suite have played competitive sports.”

Charles said: “Today we found that for children to succeed in sport, they need three things. They need to want to do it for themselves, they need the support of their peers and crucially, they need their parents to get involved.

“By setting up a nationwide programme of tickets for children and their parents and teachers to attend sports fixtures, we can kick-start that passion for sport. Combined with an athlete/student mentoring programme, those children can take the skills and dedication you learn in sport and apply these to succeed in all parts of their lives.”

Women Ahead and Moving Ahead are inviting representatives from schools, corporates and governing bodies to get in touch and talk to us about how they could get involved. Contact Charles Cousins on 01189 406828 or email Charles@moving-ahead.org for more information.

PRESS RELEASE: Greg Rusedski launches breakthrough mentoring scheme for people working in sport

A pioneering scheme to level the playing field for sports professionals was launched yesterday at the Lawn Tennis Association.

The sport and business mentoring scheme, managed by Women Ahead in partnership with the 30% Club, matches senior managers at Ricoh with leaders at the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) as they reach the middle of their careers.

Former British number 1 tennis player Greg Rusedski helped launch the scheme at an event at the LTA in Roehampton yesterday, before hosting a knock-about with the participants.

He said: “Mentoring plays a key role for an individual’s development in all walks of life. In my journey as a tennis player, I had a number of different mentors, both on and off the court. It was those mentors who helped shape my career and allowed me to achieve the things I did. I now enjoy working with and mentoring the younger generation where I try to impart my knowledge and expertise to hopefully build success for British Tennis in the future.”

A cohort of 40 people have been matched in the Ricoh - LTA mentoring programme which will run until December. It is designed to develop the pipeline and parity of women and men in leadership roles in sport.

Liz Dimmock, founder and CEO of Women Ahead said: “We’re thrilled to have brought Ricoh and the LTA together. In the middle of their careers, women’s aspirations can plummet. Mentoring helps professionals get over this speed bump and raise their game back up to their true potential. Mentors tell us they learn about the issues being faced by high potential women and the issues likely being faced by women in their own organisation.

The scheme breaks new ground by offering sportswomen and men mentors from the business world, not from sport. Women Ahead believes that whatever your career, you will always benefit greatly from meeting people who have different ways of seeing the world and tackling problems.”

In 2014, only 0.4% of commercial sports sponsorship went to women. Female sports received just 5% of media coverage. UK sporting boards were heavily led by men, with just 22% of roles taken by women. There were six governing sports bodies with no female representation at all.

The 30% Club, a group of chairs and CEOs committed to better gender balance through voluntary action, is extending its business mentoring scheme into the world of sport. This is delivered on their behalf by Women Ahead.

The scheme carefully matches high potential women and men in sport with male or female top tier executives. The pairs meet in person or by telephone every four to six weeks, and they attend a series of learning and networking events to support the nine-month long process.

Michael Downey, LTA Chief Executive said: “Investing in our workforce is a key priority for the future of the LTA and we are very fortunate to be working with Ricoh and Women Ahead, who are as passionate about the importance of mentoring as we are. It's great to see our sponsorship with Ricoh, which has been in place since 2012 broaden, to see them assist us through what is already a successful mentoring programme. Being able to offer this special opportunity to hone, grow and develop our talent and support them in becoming leaders in our business is a great opportunity for all involved.”

Chas Moloney, marketing director, Ricoh UK & Ireland said: “Ricoh is an organisation that is committed to making positive change, and we value partnerships that drive inclusion in the workplace. Through our collaboration with Women Ahead and the 30% Club, we hope to empower more women to achieve their full potential in sport by inspiring new perspectives and ways of working. It is our firm belief that greater parity between men and women in the workplace is not only essential for individual growth, but also wider industry and society as a whole.”

In 2014, only 0.4% of commercial sports sponsorship went to women. Female sports received just 5% of media coverage. UK sporting boards were heavily led by men, with just 22% of roles taken by women. There were six governing sports bodies with no female representation at all.

The 30% Club, a group of chairs and CEOs committed to better gender balance through voluntary action, is extending its business mentoring scheme into the world of sport. This is delivered on their behalf by Women Ahead.

The scheme carefully matches high potential women and men in sport with male or female top tier executives. The pairs meet in person or by telephone every four to six weeks, and they attend a series of learning and networking events to support the nine-month long process.

Tracey Crouch MP, Minister for Sport said about the scheme: “I want to see more women leading our sports organisations, providing vision and shaping the sporting landscape. Mentoring is a key tool in achieving this goal and benefits both mentors and mentees in developing their confidence and capabilities. That’s why Women Ahead is such a fantastic organisation. We need more intelligent, capable, passionate women leading sport in this country.”

Companies and sports organisations that would like to find out more about the scheme can contact Liz Dimmock at Women Ahead on 01189 406828 or liz@women-ahead.org.