Bournemouth University is the official higher education partner of AFC Bournemouth, and over 11 years of partnership, the two organisations have been working for the benefit of students, to enhance their career opportunities and provide valuable placements where students can put their education into practice.
Students have worked in roles within the Club’s media and marketing teams, as well as commercial, ticketing and undertaking roles with the women’s and girls’ teams.
Luke Gerken studies Media Production at Bournemouth University and currently undertaking a work placement at AFC Bournemouth as matchday entertainment co-ordinator. Initially starting in a part time role, Luke impressed with his ideas and additions to the matchday experience, securing the year-long role.
He said, “It is a great environment to work in. I have wanted to work in sport my entire life, it has been a big passion of mine, alongside media, so being able to experience a role in this industry so early on is great for my development. I never thought I’d get the opportunity to be a part of the football club. It is great that we have the partnership, as it enabled me to get my initial job, I built the connection there with what I had learned from the university, and I was able to show what I had to offer, and it paid off.”
Some students who have undertaken placements or short projects with AFC Bournemouth have impressed so much, they have secured permanent roles with the Club.
Katie Smith is Global Partnership Executive in Activation and part of the commercial team at the Cherries, looking after key partner accounts, including the partnership between BU and AFC Bournemouth. She always knew she wanted to work in sport, studying Sports Management at Bournemouth University, but it was her final year consultancy project with AFC Bournemouth, raising awareness of the women’s team, and she hasn’t looked back.
Katie said, “My first day was the Nottingham Forest game where Bournemouth got promoted. I remembered being seated and watching everyone running onto the pitch and thinking, ‘wow, I’m going to work for a Premier League club’. It was my first experience working in a high-paced environment and I loved it. It has shaped who I am now.”
Katie is now BU’s key contact at the Club and helps to promote the partnership and create impact for the collaboration. Katie continued, “The work that we do together is brilliant, it allows students so many opportunities that not everyone gets to do. We offer experiences through the partnership like talks with players, community projects, work with the women’s and girls’ teams and we’re really lucky to have this partnership.”
On the footballing side, students studying sports courses regularly undertake placements on the footballing side, working with the women’s and girls’ teams to support coaching and training.
BU student Cydney Peters is on placement at AFC Bournemouth for the year doing exactly that! Cydney is working in sports science with the women’s team and girl’s academy, looking at strength and conditioning with the girls and performance analysis with the women’s first team, while helping to support training.
She said, “When I started at Bournemouth University, I didn’t think I’d get the opportunity to work with a team like this, it has been a great experience. My favourite experience is being part of the first team, seeing them succeed. I have loved working with the younger groups too and seeing how enthusiastic they are.”
This year, the partnership is celebrated at the AFC Bournemouth women’s team match vs Keynsham Ladies, taking place at the Vitality Stadium, with a range of activity to showcase the collaboration between the two organisations. For more information about the partnership between BU and AFC Bournemouth, visit www.bournemouth.ac.uk/afc-bournemouth.
