Robert Svenson, Level 3 Data Technician at Stoke City Football Club, tells us how he and his colleagues are excited about what his newfound skills can bring to the club in the future.

1. Robert Svenson – Level 3 Data Technician apprentice at Stoke City Football Club
See how:
• Robert collects and reports on data to provide insightful and
impactful feedback for on-pitch provision at Stoke City Football
Club as an Academy Sport Scientist
• Robert’s newfound knowledge will be put to practice in his role
at the club
• Robert and his colleagues are ‘excited’ about the ideas for
putting his new skills to use
Robert gives advice to prospective apprentices.
“I didn’t know what to expect from the experience, but it has been really good so far.”

2. “I work as an Academy Sport Scientist for Stoke City Football
Club. My role involves a wide variety of daily roles and no two
days are the same. My work includes on-pitch provision,
strength and conditioning provision, for which there is a large
part of data collection and feedback. We collect a variety of
physical testing and monitoring data and we need this to be
as insightful and impactful as possible for players and staff.
I have been in this role for six-and-a-half years.
I like the fact that no two days are the same, and I like seeing
how impactful the work we do can be.”

3. “I have been enjoying learning how we can delve deeper
into the data and aspects to take into account when building
a data model. The apprenticeship has already given me
ideas for what can be put in place and the uses for the data
that we collect. I feel this will really help streamline some of
our data processes and improve the way we provide
valuable feedback.”

4. “My role has pretty much stayed the same since I started, but the
apprenticeship has allowed discussions around ways in which my
skills could be further utilised going forward. This is exciting not
only for myself, but also the department I work in, with the ideas
we have going forward.
After I complete my apprenticeship I hope to continue in a role like I
have now, but be in a position to utilise the data to delve deeper
and provide even greater insights into what the data is showing. I
wouldn’t rule out enrolling on an even higher level apprenticeship
to further enhance my knowledge.”

5. “To prospective apprentices I would say: You never
stop learning, so always strive to be better than you
are today.
If you are considering an apprenticeship to further
enhance your skillset, I would 100% recommend it.
Going into it, I didn’t know what to expect from the
experience, but it has been really good so far and
also really interesting meeting the other students
(albeit remotely) and finding out more about them
and the different job roles they do.”