Students from Croydon College will be signing for top London football teams thanks to a groundbreaking business deal with six of the capital’s clubs.

A total of 60 new coaching jobs are being created for 16 to 24-year-olds at sides including Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham as part of the Government’s Future Jobs scheme.

The £400,000 contract will see young adults signed up for six month salaried contracts, with 50 per cent set to be offered permanent positions at the end of the programme.

Students will be sent to unemployment hot spots throughout London to work as coaches within the clubs’ community trusts, gaining training and work experience.

Successful Future Job candidates will undertake a full apprenticeship programme at Croydon College, learning skills including literacy, numeracy and working towards coaching awards.

Claire Parry, managing director of Croydon Skills & Enterprise College said: “This contract is a real coup for the college and shows how we’re dedicated to working innovatively in partnership with other organisations to support the development of both individuals and businesses in an unpredictable economic climate.”

Grant Cornwell MBE, Chief Executive of Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for football clubs to work together pan-London addressing and impacting positively on employment in their local communities.

"We know that young people make up the largest proportion of those unemployed in the UK and football clubs are now in the position to make a real contribution to this key Government priority.”

More information is available by calling the college on 020 8760 5914, or by visiting croydon.ac.uk.