Sports students kick-start networking skills with industry experts

Final-year students studying Sports Business Management at the University of Wolverhampton received an insight into the sporting world at a networking event with industry experts.

The event, hosted at the School of Sport, based at the University’s Walsall Campus, focussed on behind-the-scenes work and the importance of developing particular skills to succeed in their sporting careers.

The students also presented consultancy reports and received valuable feedback from industry partners to further and expand their knowledge in Sports Business Management.

Partners included fitness organisation Move it or Lose it, national governing body England Squash and community-based sports organisation Sport 4 Life.

In a panel discussion, students offered questions to the industry partners, and advice was shared discussing what it’s like to work in their respective organisations. Students were also able to speak with industry partners on an individual basis and ask questions that would be most useful in making future progressions.

The event enabled students to understand the value of networking and to begin building relationships that will provide foundations early on in their careers.

Sports Business Management student, Jade Piper said: “We’ve had the opportunity to talk to industry partners about what we want to do once we graduate as that time is getting closer. We’ve been able to get advice on what would help us as students, and we’ve gained contacts that will be useful when we finish our studies.” 

Craig Corrigan, Training Project Manager at Sport 4 Life and University Alumni said: “Having been a mature student myself and studied at the University of Wolverhampton, it’s massive that employers come out and get to meet the students.

“I think it’s great that we get to speak about graduate opportunities and also tell them about what working in the industry is like, some of the skills they need and some of the challenges they might face. We now know those students if they apply for jobs with us, we know their names and we know their faces which is massively helpful for students and helpful for us as a charity.”

Class of 2022 graduate, Ezekiel Agyemang secured a part-time football coaching role with Sport 4 Life and featured in a campaign with Adidas.

Find out more about Sport Business Management at the University of Wolverhampton.