England and Manchester United football star Rio Ferdinand has said that he is “all for” adult education, and that he has spent his life after professional sport “reaching out, speaking to people and asking questions”.
Ferdinand’s glittering career ended in 2015, after he won 81 caps for England and featured in over 500 club games - the majority for Manchester United.
But since hanging up his boots, Ferdinand has spent his time exploring new opportunities and “reaching out” for information about a second career. Although he is not planning on enrolling at an FE college any time soon, he believes that people should still be asking questions and seeking knowledge when changing their careers in later life.
“I may not be going to college at the moment,” Ferdinand, whose documentary Being Mum And Dad was broadcast on the BBC this week, told Tes. “But I’m kind of reaching out for different resources to try to get information for different and new fields.”
“I like to learn, I like to read and reach out, speak to people, ask questions. I think asking questions is so important when you’re going to change field, or have a different direction in your life. You’ve really got to reach out and ask questions and try and get as much information as you can, and going to university or college in the later part of your life, in adulthood, is an option. I think I’m all for that.”
‘Social mobility is key’
Before retiring, the footballer launched the Rio Ferdinand Foundation (RFF), a charity which helps young people from disadvantaged parts of the country to find routes into education and employment.
Yesterday, the RFF celebrated the one-year anniversary of its Work Ready programme, which was set up with BT to help more than 600 16- to 24-year-olds from London and Doncaster develop key tech skills.
Speaking about the programme, Ferdinand said: “Tech is going to play a huge role in our world, and there are jobs coming in, three, five, 10 years, that aren’t necessarily there yet, but a company like BT will know what jobs are coming down the line.”
Since 2013, the RFF has worked with 5,000 young people in London and Manchester, and Mr Ferdinand says that improving social mobility is a driving principle of the foundation.
“I always said that if I ever do become a footballer and...have the leverage to be able to put something together that’s going to help other people, then I’ll do it,” he said.
”Social mobility is the...key phrase,” Ferdinand added, “because you’ve got to enable people from all backgrounds to be able to have that opportunity to go and work and be a part of the future workforce. I think BT are one of the leaders in that area, in opening doors and avenues, and that’s why I’m so pleased to be a part of that because I just think back to when I was a kid...social mobility wasn’t even a phrase that was used then. There were certain fields that we just didn’t feel like we were able to get into because of our background and where we were from.”
Want to keep up with the latest education news and opinion? Follow Tes FE News on Twitter, like us on Facebook and follow us on LinkedIn
