Month: June 2025
Tigers & Partick Thistle FC Team Up For Sports Coaching
Tigers and Partick Thistle FC Team Up to Deliver SVQ in Sports Coaching, Championing Vocational Education and Youth Development
In an exciting partnership rooted in shared values and a commitment to young people’s development, Tigers, one of Scotland’s leading training providers, has joined forces with Partick Thistle Football Club to deliver a Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) in Sports Coaching to players within the club’s Youth Academy.
The initiative is more than a qualification. It’s a holistic approach to personal growth and professional readiness, designed to give academy players the chance to earn a nationally recognised coaching certificate while developing the key skills and confidence needed to thrive both in football and beyond.
At the heart of this collaboration is Tigers’ values-based ethos, grounded in love, integrity, curiosity, and courage. These values are lived out through relationship-led practices that prioritise connection, trust, and individual growth. This unique approach ensures that each young person is seen, heard, and supported, not just as an athlete, but as a whole person.
Tigers said: “This partnership isn’t just about a qualification. It’s about giving young people meaningful opportunities to grow through connection. We believe in creating learning environments where love, integrity, curiosity, and courage are at the core, and that’s exactly what this programme offers through our work with Partick Thistle.”
Delivered through a blend of hands-on coaching experiences and reflective learning, the SVQ course covers key areas such as session planning, safe practice in sport, inclusive coaching, and community engagement. Players are also supported to deliver coaching sessions in real-world environments, building leadership and communication skills through practical experience.
Partick Thistle FC added: “We’re proud to partner with Tigers on this forward-thinking initiative. Our Academy is about more than developing footballers, it’s about developing people. Embedding a values-led coaching qualification into our programme gives our young players the tools and mindset to succeed wherever life takes them.”
The SVQ in Sports Coaching now forms a core part of the Academy’s personal development programme, offering a vital alternative pathway for players whose futures may lie outside professional football. It also strengthens the club’s connection to the wider community, with players gaining experience in delivering coaching to local schools and grassroots groups.
Together, Tigers and Partick Thistle FC are showing how sport and education can come together to create powerful, purpose-driven opportunities for young people, all built on strong values, meaningful relationships, and a belief in the potential of every individual.
Celebrating Progress and People at Orbiston Community Hub
Tigers were delighted to host a visit to the Orbiston Community Hub, bringing together key partners and funders to see firsthand how investment and local, values aligned, purpose led partnership, are shaping futures in North Lanarkshire.
Our guests, on the day, included;
Andrew Docherty representing the UK Shared Prosperity Fund,
And from North Lanarkshire Council;
Stuart Aitchison (Pathways/Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Lead Officer,
Yvonne Weir (Enterprise Manager),
Sharon Douglas (Enterprise Development Manager).
The visit began with a presentation from tigers Construction Joint Venture Manager, Derek Johnstone, who offered insights to the impact our shared apprenticeship model has had on the young people in North Lanarkshire, offering not only the number of successful candidates but, more importantly, the stories behind the numbers.
During the visit, we were also happy to be joined by three young people who have come through our employability and apprenticeship programmes and who are currently working on the Orbiston site:
Bradley Rowlands – who completed his Shared Apprenticeship with Dalcon Ltd and has successfully progressed into full-time employment with them; Taylor O’Brien – who completed his Shared Apprenticeship with Roskel Ltd and is also now employed full-time with the company; and Ronan Poulter – a current Shared Apprentice working with March Engineering, who is progressing well on-site.
A short tour of the Orbiston site followed, where the apprentices proudly shared the aspects of the build they’ve been involved in—highlighting the direct link between investment and opportunity for young people.
We thank our partners for joining us and listening to the young people, hearing directly from them the transformational impact their investment has had on their lives.
Inspiring Potential since 2001.