November 2021

During the 2021 edition of the event JOB&Orienta focused on schools and jobs (JOB&Orienta), on November 25, the Italian Ministry of Education organized the Dual Career event “Experimental project elite high school student-athlete: Job orienteering in and through sport”, offering a precious opportunity to debate the latest policies and programmes for the implementation of effective alliances between institutions and stakeholders, as well as providing useful and practical guidance for youth and families on dual career opportunities.

Dr. Paola Deiana and dr. Fabio Saverio Romito (Italian Ministry of Education) welcomed the participants, and Prof, Federica Pilotti moderated the lectures, which addressed the added value of individualized dual career (Prof. Immacolata Messuri, Telematic University IUL), the cultural challenge of dual career (Prof. Chiara D’Angelo, Catholic University of Milan), and the translation of European policies into practices (Prof. Laura Capranica, EAS). Furthermore, Ambra Sabatini (2021 Paralympic gold medal 100m dash) and Zeno Martini (international athlete of rafting) presented the student-athlete’s voices.

JOB&Orienta represented a tremendous opportunity to disseminate the outcomes of the EMPATIA and EdMedia Collaborative partnerships and the platform to help parents/tutors in supporting dual career athletes and student-athletes to increase their visibility as role models for talented athletes.

On November 23, 2021  The European Parliament approved its resolution on EU sports policy: Assessment and possible ways forward (2021/2058(INI)) – Link

Dual career was maintained in the EU priorities and extended to all the sport staff (coaches, referees, sport managers) as reported I the following points:

58. Calls for the EU guidelines on dual careers of athletes to be implemented and promoted in each Member State, and extended to all sport staff engaged in structured sport and for specific retraining initiatives;
59. Reiterates its call on the Commission, the Member States, sports federations and clubs to promote dual-career opportunities for athletes and calls on the Commission to consider including cross-border mobility of athletes in the next Erasmus+ programme;
60. Reiterates the need to develop a strategy for supporting former athletes to ensure they have adequate access to jobs, skilling or reskilling.

Furthermore, the 2022 annual work programme – “Erasmus+”: the Union Programme for Education, Training, Youth and  Sport has been published (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/document/2022-annual-work-programme-erasmus-the-union-programme-for-education-training-youth-and-sport). In particular, it will also promote and support good governance in sport and dual careers of athletes and voluntary activities in sport, together with social inclusion, including of refugees and migrants. The implementation of the Erasmus+ sport actions will continue to assist sporting organisations and clubs to recover from the COVID-19 crisis. Continuity will be ensured in the support of the European Week of Sport and the implementation of EU guidelines (EU Physical Activity Guidelines and EU Guidelines on Dual Careers of Athletes). 

Important deadlines:

Small-scale partnerships in the field of sport: 23 March

Cooperation partnerships in the field of sport: 23 March

Non-for-profit European Sport Events: 23 March

Capacity building in the field of Sport: 7 April

EAS will support new applications for the further development of the European Dual Career Discourse!