La Trobe University is pleased to announce the establishment a new industry partnership with the Professional Footballers Australia (PFA).
The partnership will see La Trobe University become the PFA’s official Education Partner for the next four years, affirming La Trobe’s commitment to providing students access to premium sport industry connections and integrated learning experiences.
Over the duration of the partnership, La Trobe will work closely with the PFA on key research and consultative projects and facilitate a jointly-funded industry PhD scholarship to undertake research relevant to the welfare and development of professional footballers.
The PFA will provide three work-integrated learning placements within the organisation each year for La Trobe students across a variety of sport-related disciplines.
La Trobe will also assist the PFA to co-develop and establish a football-specific education curriculum, as well as providing the PFA access to its world-class sport and exercise science research facilities at the La Trobe Sports Park precinct.
PFA members who pursue tertiary study at La Trobe will gain access to the La Trobe Elite Athlete Program (LEAP), which assists elite athletes to successfully combine their academic and sporting pursuits. This will include flexible and online study options for professional players and a new scholarship program for selected members.
Chief Executive of Professional Footballers Australia, Beau Busch, said the opportunity to partner with La Trobe would further enhance its ability to support the holistic development of players and further elevate its research capacity.
“La Trobe University provides world class education and learning, research programs and sporting facilities,” Busch said.
“The partnership will ensure that players have access to flexible professional development opportunities, quality sporting infrastructure when undertaking their coaching qualifications, whilst their careers will be further advanced through a comprehensive research commitment.
“We also see our partnership with La Trobe centred on sharing our institutional knowledge with students to help them develop their educational experience and professional networks within the sporting industry.”
La Trobe Pro Vice-Chancellor for Health Innovation and Dean of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, Professor Russell Hoye, said the formation of the partnership with the PFA underlined La Trobe’s commitment to providing outstanding student employability outcomes within the sport industry.
“This partnership with the PFA will provide our students with access to unique work-integrated learning opportunities within an organisation that supports professional footballers with health, education and professional development,” Professor Hoye said.
“La Trobe also looks forward to assisting professional footballers to undertake higher education studies across our suite of undergraduate and postgraduate courses.”
