SEM helps England back to No 1

A dedicated team of volunteers from the Sports and Events Management group (SEM) were on hand to ensure the England cricket team left for the Twenty20 World Cup as world number one during the recent final T20 international at Edgbaston against South Africa.

A blend of postgraduate, undergraduate, and even students yet to start their degree, took up a variety of roles on behalf of the England and Wales Cricket Board and Warwickshire CCC.

These roles included working with the ground staff, customer service roles at New Street Station directing fans to the ground, and assisting with both VIP guests and disabled spectators at the ground.

Once their duties were over they were able to enjoy a thrilling match in which England came out victorious from the best seats in the house!

MSc Sport Management student Arjun Dev, commented:

Working with the professional ground staff and playing a part in getting the wicket and outfield ready in a rain-affected match was a fantastic experience. We were treated like colleagues not volunteers and we were able to fully appreciate how much pre match preparation is needed to get an international match playable. This caps a fantastic year for me at Coventry. I am returning to India with not only a post graduate degree but also the work experience and personal development that give me confidence in securing a senior management position within sport in my country.

Darren Franklin, England Volunteer Co-ordinator, added:

Once again I have been hugely impressed by the professionalism and enthusiasm that the SEM volunteers have shown. I have been dealing with volunteers from various universities over the past five years and it is no understatement that Coventry Business School have provided the best students who can be relied upon time and time again.

These volunteering opportunities are part of the new Advantage module scheme that SEM run which enable students to gain valuable work experience in the sport and event industry.

Ian Webster, Senior Lecturer at Coventry University and creator of the suite of modules, said:

As our degrees in SEM are classified as 'applied management' there is a crucial need to get students experiencing the industry first hand. By creating these modules we are able to offer students valuable work experience, build their CV and also give them the opportunity, at no extra cost, to gain professional qualifications in the form of an NVQ in Customer Service. We are also able to provide a valuable service to the local sport and event community by supplying dedicated and skilled staff to help manage the running of events such as the International cricket matches at Edgbaston.

It is great that our students have been offered the chance to be sole supplier of volunteering staff for all international matches at Edgbaston in 2013, which includes matches against Australia and the ICC Champions Trophy.