St Mirren launches first ever paid traineeship with Kibble’s Skills Academy

St Mirren Football Club and national care charity Kibble have further developed their existing partnership with the addition of a new apprenticeship-inspired Groundskeeper Traineeship for the young people at The Skills Academy.

In this new job role, the trainee will be responsible for helping maintain the pristine condition of the football grounds and support general site maintenance. Offering hands-on experience, the new recruit will be trained to operate machinery while learning valuable skills in a professional environment as well as gain an internationally recognised iHasco certification.

St Mirren is part owned by Kibble alongside St Mirren Independent Supporters Association (SMISA). As part of the agreement, Kibble provides St Mirren with a substantial amount of support and expertise to help the Football Club grow as a business and together, they create more employment opportunities for young people.

The focus on young workforce development has created work placements within the Scottish premiership club. Young people have completed ball attendant training and begun catering and hospitality experience on match days at St Mirren’s SMISA Stadium. Young people have also been responsible for many impressive renovation projects and while gaining qualifications in construction, painting and decorating, the learners have worked alongside their instructors to update St Mirren’s first team changing room, academy player’s changing rooms and referee’s facilities.

Most recently young people at Kibble’s Skills Academy have started transforming the first team dressing room, creating a bespoke and modern environment for the players to prepare themselves for the match ahead. The renovation has included joinery work and is a continuation of the redecoration project previously completed by young people when they painted the dressing room in the club’s iconic black and white stripes.

Based in Hillington, Kibble’s specialist Skills Academy offers individual education and training programmes to meet the needs of each young person, with a focus on easing the transition from full-time education to the workplace.

Photo: Working on the Skills Academy SMFC changing rooms
Photo Credit: Kibble Charity

Mark Macmillan, Kibble Director of Corporate Services: “Entering the world of work can be daunting for young people, but we try to break down barriers for those who attend The Skills Academy, both from within Kibble’s own services and from the wider community. Our partnership with St Mirren has been transformational for The Skills Academy as it offers tangible experiences, learning opportunities and in some cases employment.

“Having access to a premiership football team has motivated our young people. It’s great to add a new paid traineeship to our growing list of collaborative projects with the club which provide such meaningful opportunities for young people.”

St Mirren Chief Operating Officer, Keith Lasley, said: “Our partnership is about bringing meaningful change to young people of Kibble and to those within the wider Paisley community.

“The paid traineeship role is the first of its kind, and we’re proud to be able to facilitate these valuable opportunities for young people in our community.

“We are extremely grateful for young people and their instructors using their skillset to complete renovation projects. All work completed thus far has been to an exceptional standard. The focus on youth employability forms part of our wider ambitions and exciting future plans to be the best community centred club in Scotland.”

The Skills Academy acts as a social enterprise and allows young people to hone their own skills in an environment that is suited to their needs. Its central aim is to help young people navigate challenges by developing skills, gaining confidence and securing qualifications that will increase their chances of finding and sustaining employment in a role they enjoy.

Kibble Group has bases across central Scotland and supports at risk children and young people (aged 5-26) across the UK. Many of the young people have experienced significant trauma in their lives and Kibble offers dedicated care and support to help them move forward.