On the 21st and 22nd of February the University of Bath hosted the first meeting of the European Commission Expert Group on Skills and Human Resources Development in Sport. ENSE was represented at the meeting by our Project Manager, Louis Moustakas.
For the inaugural meeting, skills and human resources in sport were discussed through many lenses, including dual careers, coaching, and qualifications.
To launch the first day of the meeting in Bath, the Commission held a presentation on the recent developments in sport policy and in the area of sport and education and also presented the outcomes of previous Expert Groups.
The first day later focused on coaching in Europe, with Kairis Ulp, the former Chair of the Council Working Party on Sport from the Estonian Presidency, presenting the Presidency’s achievements with a focus on the on the role of coaches in society. Afterwards, Sergio Lara-Bercial, from ENSE member International Council for Coaching Excellence, described the current coach education system in Europe and its challenges.
To conclude the first day, the group conducted a a site visit of the sport facilities at the University of Bath and heard a presentation on Dual Careers in the UK from Guy Taylor of the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS).
The second day delved into specific projects, including presentations by EuropeActive on the SIQAF and Blupeprint projects, the latter of which ENSE is a part of project consortium. Similarly, the European Obersvatoire of Sport Employment presented their European Sector Skills Alliance for Sport and Physical Activity Project and the Hungarian School Sport Federation presented the SHAPE Project, the goal of which is to compare physical education systems in various Member States.
Moving forward, the Group will put together guidelines on the state of coaching and coach education in different countries and exchange best practices in other areas, especially as it relates to Dual Careers. A second meeting is planned for summer 2018.