MK College footballer makes England debut 

Seventeen year old Milton Keynes College student, Juud Farrant, has just returned home after being picked for the English Colleges FA team, the football wing of Association of Colleges (AOC) Sport, to play in an international tournament in Italy. 

Right winger Juud scored one goal against Greece, slaloming through the opposition defence and dinking the ball over the advancing goalkeeper.  He also had one assist in the event, with England topping their group but eventually losing to Wales on penalties in the final. 

“It was one of the best experiences of my life,” Juud says, “and while it was gutting to lose in the final it was fantastic to be a part of it.” 

Juud travels from his home in Tring every day for his Football Studies course at Milton Keynes College, something staff say shows the level of commitment he has to the game and his future. 

Course Team Leader at the Football Academy, Iain Ellis, says, “Juud’s come on so much since he joined us when he was sixteen.  Representing your country at any level is a remarkable achievement so we’re really proud of him.  He always had the ability but it’s been wonderful to watch him grow in confidence with us.  Even getting selected from the hundreds of triallists is a triumph in itself.  We’re all really proud of him.” 

Juud is now looking at staying on at college for another year to further develop his skills and knowledge.  “Everything here is really professionally done.  The facilities are great – we train on a really good astroturf pitch – and the gym work and the lessons are really helpful.  The staff are really knowledgeable and supportive and they’ve helped me a lot, especially with the mental approach to my game.  When I first came here, I sometimes didn’t have that control of myself that you really need to play at the highest level, and they’ve really helped with that.” 

English Colleges FA manager, Darin Killpartrick, is based at Chichester College as Director of Football. says, “Juud has been an integral part of the team showing an outstanding attitude both on and off the pitch. He is an exciting player that has settled well into the squad, showcasing his talent at any given opportunity. Not only does he possess the ability to enjoy beating a player on the inside and outside but also has a keen eye to chip in with a goal or two. I am looking forward to watching him lock horns with the opposition at an international standard and challenging himself at every opportunity.   

Juud’s already had trials with Queen’s Park Rangers and was given very encouraging feedback.  He hopes to have the chance to try out for more clubs soon.  He’s the third footballer to make the English Colleges team in Milton Keynes College’s history, and the experience of his predecessors shows it can be a route to the professional game.  Tom Bradbury is a graduate of the course and now plays for Cheltenham Town in League One, while Elliott Simmons is a regular for Vancouver FC in the Canadian Premier League. 

If you’re a budding footballer and you’d like to know more about Football Studies at Milton Keynes College, please visit https://mkcollege.ac.uk/sports/  

Double win for MK College Football Academy puts teams into national tournament 

MK College’s Football Academy students have secured places in the Association of College’s (AoC’s) national football tournament and both the men’s and women’s teams won their regional tournaments. 

At the AoC Men’s and Women’s Regional Football Tournament at Easton & Otley College in Norfolk in October, each team had to play five games in one day in order to secure their wins. The women’s team didn’t concede a single goal in the entire tournament, while the men’s team won the tournament final in an exciting penalty shootout. 

Karl Daley, captain of the College’s Men’s Elite team, said: “The tournament was unbelievable as an experience, long away days always feel good when you win a match let alone a tournament. Not just us but the women’s team also winning as well made the Academy as a whole feel an amazing sense of togetherness. Being part of the Football Academy hasn’t only aided my ability as a player but also as a person. These years that I’ve been a part of this family has given me so much more confidence in myself on and off the pitch and also so much more enjoyment within football”. 

Olivia West, Women’s Academy player, added: “We are absolutely buzzing about our win! It has been awesome to watch the development of our girls within the academy. Strength and resilience was shown across the pitch and the community that has been built within the team really shone through. Bring on the Nationals! I am so proud to represent this group and the College moving forward”. 

Iain Ellis, Course Team Leader at the College’s Football Academy commented: “We are extremely proud of how the Football Academy students represented the College at the regional tournament. To clean sweep both the men’s and women’s football competitions is an amazing achievement. A 6.30am start with a three hour bus journey always makes it difficult to prepare as a footballer, but the students let this have no effect on the performances throughout the day.  

“Both teams going undefeated and the girls not conceding a goal for the second year in a row is a remarkable achievement from the girls and the coaches, Charlie and Ethan. Qualifying for the nationals in April gives the students something to look forward to but also a weekend away as an Academy will create memories that they will look back on. This just continues our long track record of creating an amazing student experience for our student athletes at Milton Keynes College”. 

The teams will now go onto play at the AoC National Football Tournament at Nottingham University in April. 

To find out more about the Football Academy and other sports courses at Milton Keynes College, visit https://mkcollege.ac.uk/sports/  

One of the main components that makes college different is that work experience is a vital part of your course. In fact, in the future, it will be required to pass! Whether you’re studying Business, Engineering or Childcare, you will be spending a big chunk of your time on various Industry Placements. You will experience what it’s like to work in your desired field first hand, learning and working alongside real business owners and people in industry.

Hear from a student

We caught up with Harry McCauley, a Personal Training student at MK College, during a session with his mentor, Kelvin Dwumfuo at KDPT. Harry has been learning from Kelvin, taking part and giving advice to clients during Personal Training sessions at a variety of gyms and fitness centres, including Snap Fitness.

Harry knew he always wanted to be self-employed as a personal trainer. He said: “I never liked the idea of having a 9 to 5 office job, but the idea of helping, educating and giving people the confidence they need to change their lives through health and fitness has always been important to me”.

“Harry has grown not only in confidence but his in his understanding of the role of a trainer. He has gone from shadowing classes to running his own over his time with me”, commented Kelvin. “I decided to take students on at my business because I know first-hand the benefits of learning outside of the classroom”.

How is it organised?

Work experience placements are often organised by tutors and dedicated staff at MK College. Employers are looking for applicants with real experience in industry, which is something work experience opportunities guarantee. Students have reviews and are assessed by their workplace trainers, making sure they are on track and meeting targets. Although the thought of working alongside professionals in a new environment can be a bit intimidating, the benefits of doing just that are worth the nerves.

“This experience has opened up so many opportunities for me, not just to learn more but also in my career. I’ve learnt that it’s important to stay up to date with new trends in the industry, and to keep learning as a PT. My advice to other students taking on work experience would be to take as many opportunities as possible within your industry, as it opens up so many opportunities and really improves your future”, commented Harry.

“Don’t be afraid of failure or making mistakes”, advises Kelvin. “There will be a few along the way, learn from them and put things in place to make sure they are not repeated. Secondly, enjoy what you do and do it wholeheartedly”.