On Tuesday 24th September 2024, the European Observatoire of Sport and Employment (EOSE) hosted its 3rd annual Members’ Capacity Building Workshop, this time focusing on the timely topic of “New Forms of Employment” in the sport and physical activity sector. The online event brought together colleagues from 16 countries, representing EOSE Member organisations across Europe, to explore the sector’s ongoing recruitment and retention challenges and new, emerging employment practices as a potential solution.
The workshop, led by EOSE Director of Skills Development Geoff Carroll and EOSE Projects & Research Coordinator Wojciech Waśniewski, explored the potential of innovative employment forms such as employee sharing, interim management, ICT-based mobile work, intermittent permanent employment and platform work to strengthen the sport labour market.
Building on the foundation laid by the FORMS project, which concluded that flexible employment approaches could provide possible solutions to the sector’s staffing challenges, the workshop introduced participants to the ongoing follow-up project, IN-FORMS. This three-year initiative aims to deepen and broaden research on innovative employment forms, producing policy papers and practical roadmaps for both employers and employees.
Key highlights of the workshop included:
- An overview of the main challenges and realities facing the sport sector
- Exploration of various new forms of employment and their potential applications
- Group discussions sharing examples and best practices of innovative employment forms around Europe
- Introduction to the upcoming IN-FORMS survey on employment challenges and possible new solutions
Participants engaged in lively discussions about the balance between flexible employment and job security, the impact of employment laws and cultural factors, and the need for greater HR support in the sector. The workshop also addressed the importance of raising awareness and promoting innovation in the sector.
Following the event, Geoff Carroll, EOSE Director of Skills Development, commented:
“We are thrilled with the engagement and invaluable contributions from our Members during this workshop. The issue of finding solutions to the labour market challenges in the sector is timely, which was reinforced by the wide interest of the Members in the topic. We will continue to explore this issue together in the upcoming months and years. Thanks to all participants for sharing their diverse perspectives and experiences!”
The workshop was well-received as shown by the high marks and complimentary comments collected at the end such as:
“Very interesting topic. Very well prepared and moderated. Break out groups were great too. 10 out of 10!”
For those interested in exploring the topic, EOSE recommends the following resources:
- FORMS final report: Towards Innovative Ways of Thinking about Sport Employment in Europe
- Eurofound Research Report: New forms of employment: 2020 update
- IN-FORMS project website
Upcoming international survey on new forms of employment
As part of the ongoing research efforts, the IN-FORMS Partnership is preparing to launch a crucial survey on “Employment Challenges in the Sport and Physical Activity Sector and Possible New Solutions” in November. This international survey aims to gather quantitative data on employment realities, challenges, and attitudes towards new forms of employment in the sport sector.
Call to action
EOSE is seeking support from individuals and organisations across Europe to ensure the success of this important research initiative. If you are willing to assist with survey testing, translation, or promotion/dissemination in your country, please contact Wojciech Waśniewski at wojciech.wasniewski@eose.org. Your involvement will be instrumental in reaching a wide audience and collecting valuable insights to shape the future of employment in the sport and physical activity sector.
Joining EOSE
Would you like to participate in future EOSE workshops to gain new knowledge and share your experience in developing the sport sector? If your organisation shares EOSE’s mission of supporting the development of the sport and physical activity sector workforce, and you’re interested in becoming an official member of the EOSE Network, please contact us at eosesec@eose.org.
