Team GB and ParalympicsGB Athletes Find New Career Pathway at Centrica

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Over the summer, billions of people from across the world tuned in to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games to get behind their nation’s most talented athletes, and Centrica has launched a new employment initiative to help sportspeople transition into a different career once they retire.

Elite sports professionals are highly skilled and have a lot to offer the world of work, although it can often be challenging for them to know where to start, especially when entering into a new sector. 

To help adjust to life after sport, Centrica has created a new scheme – the Centrica Athletes Leadership Placement Programme - to find high performance athletes rewarding careers in the energy sector.

Made available to athletes thanks to Team GB and ParalympicsGB’s landmark five-year partnership with British Gas - a subsidiary of Centrica - the programme will give former sportspeople the chance to transfer their skills to new roles within the wider group.

The scheme falls under the same umbrella as Centrica's Armed Forces Pathway, which aims to hire at least 500 ex-forces leavers by 2026. 

The Centrica Athletes Leadership Placement Programme includes former ParalympicsGB athlete Stephen Miller MBE. Stephen is one of ParalympicsGB’s most decorated Para athletes ever, competing in club and discus and winning 6 medals at 7 Games. Stephen competed as a professional athlete from 1996 until his retirement in 2024 and started as a Change Delivery Manager in October.

Stephen Miller MBE and former ParalympicsGB athlete said: “I feel immensely proud to be the first disabled athlete to be selected for this valuable programme. As a retired athlete there are so many transferable skills that can be channelled into the world of work - such as communication, collaboration and resilience - but unfortunately barriers to entry still exist.

“One thing that really attracted me to the Centrica Athletes Leadership Placement Programme is the buddy system, where I’ll be assigned a mentor from the Centrica Forces Network to help me settle in. It’s reassuring to know I’ll have someone to lean on who has also experienced a change in career - and has been through the transition first hand.”

In its first year, the nine-month programme will see seven former athletes take on various roles across the business, including Performance and Talent Consultant, Change Delivery Manager and Net Zero Commercial Analyst.   

The move furthers Centrica’s commitment to a diverse workforce, recognising the vast and varied transferable skillset that exists in the athlete community.

Victoria Belkhyate, Performance & Talent Director, added: “This initiative provides an opportunity for the athletic community to find rewarding careers, whilst attracting highly skilled individuals and their transferable skill set into the business.

“Each of our new colleagues will be offered support to help them flourish in their roles, with plenty of opportunities to progress and develop further with Centrica after the initial nine months. 

“Our vision is to build a more inclusive team that represents the full diversity of the communities we serve - ensuring that every colleague feels they belong, are valued and can thrive.”

Alongside the placement, Centrica has created a bespoke career development offering for athletes via an online portal. The programme provides access to a curated series of e-learning that focuses on key skills, from CV writing and interview guidance to creating a social media presence.

The company is also committed to hiring 3,500 new apprentices to drive the energy transition by 2030.

To find out more about careers with Centrica, visit www.centrica.com/careers.

Meet our seven sporting stars here: https://www.centrica.com/careers/pathways/athletes-pathway/