A group of aspiring female coaches have taken the next steps in their coaching journey by completing the UEFA C Licence course at Oriam.
14 female coaches completed the programme, which furthers their development and allows them to progress onto the UEFA B Licence.
This was the latest C Licence to be targeted towards providing opportunities to female coaches, with UEFA funding offering assistance towards the costs of the course - as well as accommodation, kit and travel.
The UEFA C Licence comprises three practical components; conducting a training session, shaping a team and an individual programme, and is delivered over three separate phases.
Five years on from the Scottish FA’s first female-only C Licence, this latest offering of the course continues the Scottish FA's commitment towards coaching work in the women's game, and the Scotland Women's National Team head coach Pedro Martinez Losa was in attendance during the first day of the course to offer support and advice to the aspiring coaches.
He said: "Coaching is one of the key aspects in our development as a nation.
"The players are developed by the coaches so we have to invest time, dedication and opportunities in female coaches so we can raise the standards of the game.
"They are part of the transformation and change of the women's game in the country."
Greig Paterson, Scottish FA Head of Education and Development, stated:
“We have made massive strides in the past few years, and as we transitioned to online learning during the pandemic, witnessed marked increases in female attendances.
"We therefore hope that these female coaches continue their coach development trajectory by attending higher level courses, for example the UEFA C Licence.
"As very early adopters of the UEFA C Licence, we were delighted to receive funding from UEFA to assist female coaches, and this allowed us to offer this unique and bespoke offering.
"We now look forward to increasing the number of female coaches qualified at UEFA licence level, knowing that this will have a positive impact on the women’s game as a whole.”
Alan White, Scottish FA Acting Grassroots Coach Education Manager, added:
"Some women are quite happy to come on mixed courses but what we do find though is that they are in the minority - we might have 20 men on a course and four women for example, and they get on fantastically well.
"However, I think having a female-only offering does help certain participants feel a little more comfortable and it's right we offer these types of courses when they are required."