Adidas and Stormzy team up for #Merky FC for new online platform to help Black youth find careers in football

nme.com:

Stormzy has again teamed up with Adidas for the next phase of #Merky Football Careers partnership – this time launching a new online platform to help Black youth find careers in football.First established in 2022, the project was built to address racial equity in the football industry and provide opportunities for UK Black Heritage Youth to access jobs in the sector.

Since its launch, the movement has added 63 roles to the UK football industry for young people of UK Black Heritage, with 39 roles retained for extended periods.Now, the initiative has shared a new development to take things a step further – unveiling an online platform dedicated to both offering support to the current cohort who are already in roles, and developing a wider community for those who have applied for roles.The platform will run year-round and comes in in collaboration with #Merky FC’s recruitment partner DIVERSE.

Throughout the year, young people will be able to find and apply for roles available in the football industry, receive advice and guidance on career development, and access exclusive access to networking opportunities and events hosted by DIVERSE.“I’m proud that Adidas and Stormzy continue to give us a powerful platform to inspire and impact the lives of young people through career support, events, and work opportunities in football.

It’s been incredible to see these talented individuals grow and finally get the chance to show what they can do,” said Tobi Ogundipe, Founder of DIVERSE.“The brands involved have worked together to help us build, educate and hire from a new community of young people who previously had no connections in football.