COPA90 and EA SPORTS FC – two pioneering brands in world football – have come together to offer a brand new global women’s football internship programme as part of EA SPORTS’ ‘Starting XI Fund’.
This Accelerator Fund, a commitment of an $11M investment, is designed to grow the Women’s game, with the new internship component specifically aimed at providing the next generation of off-pitch talent with new opportunities to enter the football industry.
The new internship programme, named ‘Pave The Path’ will support those looking to break through into a number of career paths via an 8-week placement.
Hosted in the US, UK, France, Spain, and Germany, the aim is to accelerate young women and their professional progress through greater access to industry experiences, mentors and networks.
Alongside EA SPORTS FC and COPA90, the internship has been launched in partnership with the National Women’s Soccer League (US), D1 Arkema (France), Liga F (Spain) the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga (Germany), and the Barclays Women’s Super League (UK), who will be offering direct placements at these global partners offering talent invaluable experience across different areas of the respective organisations.
As part of the placement, each intern will have the opportunity to work on a dedicated creative project highlighting a global game-changer who is making a positive impact in women’s football.
This initiative will provide aspiring girls with a gateway into the industry and contribute to the transformation and growth of the game.
Simon Joyce, Chief Business Officer at COPA90, said: “We’re proud to build on our long-standing and action-orientated partnership with the team at EA SPORTS FC and collaborate on yet another incredibly important, much needed and valuable programme.
Women’s football is one of sport’s great growth levers and it’s critical that young people are given access to a greater number of opportunities to enable a more diverse and equitable game, and to create and support the industry leaders of the future.”
Charlotte Thomson, Head of Women’s Football at COPA90 said: “It’s a genuine privilege to be a part of an initiative that is game-changing in every sense of the word, with a partner that recognises the importance of off-pitch talent in growing the women’s game sustainably.
Having seen first-hand the level of talent that has come through previous EA internships, I am in no doubt that the next generation of off-pitch talent will make their mark on the game in a big way – and I can’t wait to see what they go on to achieve.“
Andrea Hopelain, SVP of Brand, EA SPORTS added: “It’s an honour for EA SPORTS to be involved in such a great initiative.
There is a huge appetite for talented individuals to be involved in women’s football across a number of roles but it became quite clear that the whole industry needs to add more opportunities for them to pave their path into the game. We look forward to working with everyone and seeing the internship develop.”
Applications are now live via the link below – so please share this far and wide with those that might be interested. Website: https://c90.webflow.io/pavethepath