From the pitch to the job market: a scoping review of sport-for-employability programmes

ABSTRACT

Rationale

There has been growing recognition of the potential for sport to contribute to development, and employability has emerged as one of the core thematic areas of sport for development (SFD). However, we have a limited overview of SFD programmes and their contributions to employability. As such, the following review seeks to summarise current literature on the topic and answer three related questions: (1) who delivers programmes and what groups are targeted?; (2) what sport and non-sport activities are used?; and (3) what competencies are developed or targeted through these programmes?

Methods

A Scoping Review following Arksey and O’Malley [Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1), 19–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364557032000119616] is conducted to locate and synthesise literature on sport-for-employability programmes.

Results

Programmes rely on a mix of sport activities and workshops to develop a sub-set of social and personal competencies and support the acquisition of general employment skills as well as some formal qualifications in sport or service-related professions.

Implications

To provide meaningful, sustainable employability, there is a need to offer deeper qualifications while also proactively working to improve the external factors driving employability for their participants.

KEYWORDS:

• Sport for development
• sustainable development
• employment
• livelihoods
• programmes

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).