The Premier League's leading overseas project Premier Skills is an innovative coaching development project, run in conjunction with the British Council. After initial pilot projects in the Egyptian cities of Cairo and Alexandria, Premier Skills started up in India, in New Delhi and Kolkata, and the Ugandan capital, Kampala, in 2008.

In 2009 it has also kicked off in the Indian states of Goa and Kerala. The proposal is to expand the programme into nine more countries across China, South East Asia and Africa in the next three years.

Premier Skills works with a number of football coaches in each city to enhance their coaching skills, teach them about using football as a social tool and, where appropriate, develop their English language ability.

The week-long courses train the aspiring coaches to return to their own communities and start up or enhance their existing football sessions. The ambition is to train 1,000 young adults with community leadership and life skills, enabling them to enrich the lives of a further 100,000 young people.

The courses have been led by former Premier League Stars Warren Barton and Robbie Earle. Both have UEFA coaching qualifications, and alongside current two Premier League club coaches, lead a series of football coaching and skills sessions for around 40 youth leaders in each city.

In addition to the coaching sessions, the British Council deliver intensive English language courses, focusing around developing the young coaches. Participants on the course, and football enthusiasts around the world, will be able to combine their interest in football and their English language learning at a specially created Premier Skills zone of the www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish.

Premier Skills uses a number of innovative training tools to help aid participants' development. These include the 'Skill Factor' interactive training CD-Rom, which breaks down how a player can complete a certain football technique by allowing the user to zoom in and out and watch a skill from different angles and in slow motion.

Robbie Earle sums up the impact that Premier Skills is having: "What we've found with Premier Skills is that there is an insatiable desire to learn. The students are like sponges: the more we give them, the more they want to take on board. They have also started to work with each other: they've put together clubs, created leagues, they're playing against each other's schools. So all the things that you would like to happen are happening naturally now; all we've done is ignite the fire."

For more information on Premier Skills:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/it/egypt-society-youth-premier-skills.htm

More stories on Premier Skills:

Barton and Earle launch Premier Skills in India

Barton and Earle revisit Premier Skills project

Premier Skills launches in Uganda

Premier Skills launches in Goa and Kerala 

Premier Skills launch Dalian project