From athletes to digital entrepreneurs: SKS365 and LVenture Group launch ‘Digital & Entrepreneurship in Sports’

The free training course is addressed to ex sport professionals and consists of five workshops where digital business ideas will be developed

A path to acquire skills in the field of digital economy after having been a sports star: this is the challenge launched to all former professional athletes who want to join the Digital & Entrepreneurship in Sports course, a free training program powered by LVenture Group in collaboration with SKS365 through its brand dedicated to CSR, “Training Program”. Former athletes will have time until February 20th to apply and participate in the selections for the course that is going to start in March.

The program has an intensive quarterly calendar, with classes between Rome and Milan which will be accessible also remotely. It is addressed to former athletes who, once their professional career is over, want to develop a business idea, launch an entrepreneurial project and seize the opportunities of the digital economy. The program consists of five workshops on different topics such as digital entrepreneurship, personal branding, communication, Social Responsibility and it is aimed at teaching an effective methodology in building and promoting one’s image in the business environment.

In a global context still strongly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, sport is one of the most damaged sectors. A study carried out by PwC[1] estimated an average loss of 220 billion euros in 2020 and 55 billion euros in 2021. This scenario further highlights the need for “re-skilling” and repositioning in the digital field in order to acquire the strategic skills necessary to succeed in the “new-normal”.

Based on this experience, the SKS365 Training Program together with the Open Innovation division of LVenture Group, a listed VC operator and one of the main start-up accelerators in Europe, has developed the Digital & Entrepreneurship in Sports program.

“During their career, sportsmen develop unique and personal ‘skills on the field’, which are difficult to understand by those with a purely academic background. However, this experiences risk to be lost if not put into practice – commented Brian Dean, Chief People OfficerSKS365 – With this program, we aim to leverage on previous knowledge in the sports sector and offer, thanks to LVenture Group know how, the tools and the appropriate skills for a new career path in the digital economy. We want to focus on the people element – adds Dean – because we believe that every professional experience, when supported with the right tools, can generate new and successful business ideas. Training is one of the core values of our Corporate Identity. SKS365 has been investing energy and ideas for some time to support the professional growth of its employees. Among the various projects, we launched a training program in Covid-19 times with Udemy, a leading e-learning platform.”

A recent study by the FIGC[2] (Italian football Federation) underlined the difficult situation experienced by many former athletes. FIGC interviewed over 3,000 players after their sport retirement: 61% were unemployed and only 1 out of 10 had gotten a job within five years. This trend is also confirmed internationally. In the United States, some research has underlined that 78% of NFL[3] players and 60% of NBA[4] basketball players face serious financial difficulties within 5 years since their sport retirement. Planning the professional future at the end of the sport career is an even greater need for less-paying sports athletes: that is the reason why the International Olympic Committee introduced the career programs for sportsmen in 2005.

“The transition from competitive activity to the beginning of a new professional career can present various obstacles, considering the evolution of the labour market and the new skills required in the digital field. With this program made in cooperation with the SKS365 Training Program, we want to enhance the personal skills and mindset acquired by the athletes during their careers and offer them an opportunity to launch new professional projects, whether they are self-entrepreneurial or not, and strengthen the image and reputation of these pros to fully seize all the opportunities that the digital economy offers today”, said Antonella Zullo, Head of Open Innovation at LVenture Group.

More info about contents and on how to apply for the Digital & Entrepreneurship in Sports course are available on the website dedicated to the project: https://www.digitalinsportstraining.com/.