The Fest Hub, founded by Emmanuel Afolabi, Civil Engineer at Ramboll, raises awareness amongst aspiring footballers of careers in STEM and construction. The unique initiative brings together football, education and STEM for young people from disadvantaged communities.  

On average, only 180 of the 1.5 million boys playing organised football receives a contract from a Professional Football club, whilst only one in 15 receives a professional contract.  

The Fest Hub increases awareness amongst young footballers, aged 13-18, of career opportunities in STEM or construction and helps young players prepare for alternative career paths before having to confront such a reality. 

In this podcast, Emmanuel Afolabi speaks about his personal journey after being released from Charlton Athletic Football Club, from choosing engineering at university to becoming a civil engineer at Ramboll. Emmanuel created the FestHub in 2021 to support players and their mental health into the transition to the wider world of work.  

Quotes from the podcast

Football brings out that creativity and those skills that are quite important when you are moving to another career...time management, team work, organisation..

The transition (in career) wasn’t that easy...I kind of felt embarrassed...everybody knew me growing up as the footballer, that was my identity...I had to work my way back into life...I had to find my own feet and I was determined to not be another statistics

...choosing engineering was also about satisfaction, telling people that you have worked on something that you have designed...

Help & Support 

If you have any further questions regarding CPD please email  professionaldevelopment@ciht.org.uk 

Emmanuel Afolabi, Founder of the Fest Hub