LONDON: Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment company, Thursday announced the launch of NXT UK: Women in Sports, the latest in Endeavor Impact’s series of virtual education and development programmes created to expand industry access.
NXT UK: Women in Sports is a six-week virtual programme designed to engage women in the UK aged between 18-24 who want to pursue careers in the sports industry. It will run during Summer 2024 and will be free to all.
Launched in partnership with the Embassy of the United States of America in the UK and the Women’s Sport Collective, the programme will provide exclusive educational courses to enhance its participants’ career readiness and confidence. Endeavor and the Embassy of the United States of America kicked off the NXT UK: Women in Sports programme last night with a celebratory event at Winfield House, London, hosted by U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Jane D. Hartley, and Endeavor’s SVP and Head of Impact and Inclusion, Romola Ratnam.
The series will feature live introductory sessions on sports media, licensing, entertainment, representation, and sponsorship, as well as executive mindset, the power of networking, career navigation and strategic thinking. The sessions will be delivered by executives from Endeavor-owned businesses IMG, WME Sports, 160over90, and On Location, as well as leaders and allies from across the global sport industry, such as Sue Anstiss MBE – founder and CEO of the Women’s Sport Collective. Registrations for NXT UK: Women in Sports will launch on May 1, with details of the full program to be unveiled soon. Interested attendees can pre-register here.
Endeavor’s SVP and head of Impact and Inclusion, Romola Ratnam commented: “Through our various Virtual Pipeline Programs, including the NXT series, we want to democratize access to the sports and entertainment industries for under-represented groups. NXT UK: Women in Sports aims to provide free education and inspiration that anybody can access from any device, no matter where they are, and help kick-start a career in sport. It’s important we take steps to increase diversity within our industry and encourage the next generation of talented women to build a career in sport – whether that’s at Endeavor or beyond.”
Since Endeavor launched its virtual education and development programmes in 2021, more than 25,000 participants have enrolled across the various initiatives, including NXT: NYFW, NXT Africa, NXT/Latinx and the Excellence Program, with 55 participants hired as full-time employees or for internship positions within Endeavor and other companies across the industry. The NXT UK: Women in Sports programme is designed to increase the pipeline of talented women applying for roles at Endeavor, IMG and in the wider industry, to build a strong network within the UK, and to encourage the next generation of women leaders in sport.
