The ECA Club Talent & Mentoring Programme (CTMP) is the latest educational initiative designed for and directed towards ECA Member Clubs and the ECA Network. It provides a path for the development of identified talent within a club’s management and administrative staff.
ECA Knowledge and Education Manager Sara Williams pulls back the curtain on this new ECA educational initiative and explains the benefits for both the clubs and the individuals.
What exactly is the Club Talent & Mentoring Programme (CTMP)?
It's a new offering from ECA as part of our drive to do more to support our members. The simplest explanation is to say that we have identified a demand from people who are working in clubs other than senior executives. They are likely to be younger than a club’s senior leadership and could be working in any number of the diverse areas that contribute to a club’s management. We believe the CTMP will address the perceived need to support these people as they aspire to further leadership roles.
The CTMP provides the opportunity for talented club professionals to expand their knowledge, develop key skills, grow their network as well as learn from the best in the business.
What are the key features of the CTMP?
As the people involved in the programme will have various different specialisations and educational qualifications, we want to give them a much broader view and understanding of what it takes to run a successful club.
It's important to provide a holistic view of club management and how these areas are all interconnected and contribute to a club’s success.
Where does the CTMP take place?
The CTMP is a blended learning programme. The participants will first of all immerse themselves in online modules which will provide a lot of the foundation knowledge and add theory that will provide the background to other activities.
After that there will be a one week in-person module in Lisbon during December, followed by 12 months of one-to-one mentoring from senior executives from the world of club football to directly pass on their skills and experience as well as assist in the professional development of the CTMP participants.
The overall aim is, of course, to have individuals who can, through education and knowledge, be better informed and create a real impact in their club and on the future of European club football.
How does the CTMP fit within the portfolio of other ECA education and knowledge-sharing activities?
The CTMP is one of several educational initiatives that are part of the ECA Campus. The ECA Campus brings together all our individual programmes and projects that have been designed to provide knowledge, networking, and growth opportunities for club participants.
And finally, as you are responsible for the CTMP, can you tell us a little bit about your background?
I joined ECA earlier this year with a mandate to develop its education programmes and knowledge-sharing initiatives. Before that I had worked in several major sports organisations including UEFA and the IOC working on the planning, development, and delivery of their education and knowledge transfer programmes.