Received from: PFA
Merged into composite 16
Congress calls on the General Council to support unions that provide education and training for their members so that they have the necessary skills and qualifications to meet the challenges of today’s labour market. Statistics show that the average worker changes their job every five years which inevitably will require re-training and a need to acquire new skills.
In an industry like football where players are relatively young when their playing careers come to an end, it is imperative that they prioritise training and learning for a new career. The Professional Footballers’ Association provides a wealth of support in this area and funds a wide range of courses and learning opportunities to ease the difficult transition from the dressing room to the more conventional workplace.
This commitment to their members not only helps them with recruitment but also demonstrates that as their trade union they are also looking to the long term and their wellbeing after football. This extensive education provision is vitally important for players’ futures and is perhaps a good template for the movement in general to adopt as union membership continues to decline and our relevance is questioned.
Finally, Congress acknowledges the excellent work undertaken by the TUC here and calls on all unions to work together for the benefit of all our members in this area.
Professional Footballers’ Association