The Professional Footballers Association (PFA), as part of their Union Learning Fund (ULF) supported project, have been helping football clubs up and down the country increase the number of women taking on careers in sport. At a recent event ran by the Crystal Palace FC Foundation SERTUC unionlearn’s Apprenticeships Support Officer, Oreleo Du Cran, got talking to Zuleika Williams, a Business Administration apprentice with the club.

Zuleika is 21 and following a six month prison term, carried out a 12 week employability course from the probation service. This led to her volunteering at the Crystal Palace FC Foundation in the office, and on the pitch, before becoming an apprentice. Zuleika is also training as a football coach with the Foundation.

Zuleika said why she wanted to volunteer with the club:

What motivated me to volunteer for Crystal Palace FC Foundation was the opportunity to work closely with children of different ages and abilities and to help them further their skills to help in any way to achieve their dreams.

Since becoming an apprentice I have really enjoyed having another chance at education. I have found it really good it has helped to improve the skills I have when working in the office and improve my knowledge on the office environment, but I am also still learning new skills at the same time."

The apprenticeship has lead to other training opportunities, which Zuleika has been only too happy to take advantage of. These have helped her develop her work related skills and included a 3 day Open College Network accredited course for Personal Budgeting & Management.

The apprenticeship has really helped Zuleika with not only work opportunities, but also her self confidence. In the past she had spent time in prison – and felt that if she hadn’t started the scheme she would “probably be unemployed at home struggling to find a job and not moving forward in life I might have ended up back in prison.”

However the training has resulted her becoming fair more confident in herself and her abilities. Zuleika feels that the skills and knowledge she has gained since starting the scheme have resulted in her being far less shy and a much more outgoing and approachable person – a big plus in the line of work she which she is looking to develop.

Oreleo said:

Zuleika’s story demonstrates the positive effect on someone’s life that having the opportunity to sign up to a good quality apprenticeship scheme can have. The Crystal Palace FC Foundation have been delivering great training, which is fully supported by unionlearn and the PFA."

For Zuleika the apprenticeship has made a huge difference to her life, and offered an opportunity she is grabbing with both hands:

My experience since joining Palace is definitely something to write home about - and I have. My family are proud and so am I, I really can’t believe I have had a second chance to change my life around. I am far from the same person I was before I went to jail and I have to thank Crystal Palace FC Foundation for their support and encouragement to better myself and become the young woman I am today."