Leeds College of Building has furthered its connection to the city through its partnership with the Leeds United Business Club. The long-established institution is reaching out to local supporters, as well as a national audience, through its football sponsorship, appearing throughout every Leeds United home game at Elland Road.
Founded in 1960, Leeds College of Building remains the only further education college to exclusively offer courses in the construction and built environment sector. With a total of 6,500 students, the college has grown a national reputation, recruiting from across the UK.
Marketing Manager Cat Izzard explained why becoming associated with Leeds United appealed to the college:
“Being a local college, we were excited to join the Business Club. It’s important for us because it helps with our brand exposure, it helps us reach out to people. We are a Leeds based college, but we recruit people from all over the U.K. That’s why we were interested in being linked to Leeds United, because through televised games and being shown in front of away fans, it helps us reach a different audience.
“The club is hugely important to the city and that’s why we thought it was valuable to become associated with the team. They’re doing well and it’s a positive for us to be linked with a successful Leeds side.”
The Leeds United Business Club is formed through a partnership between Eleven Sports Media and the Football Club. As a Business Club partner, Leeds College of Building appear on both pitch and crowd-facing digital LED boards, as well as featuring on StadiumTV screens within the concourses.
In addition to matchday brand exposure, the college sponsors StatTracker social media content, which is shared on to Leeds United’s official pages, enabling Leeds College of Building to engage with the club’s wider fan base.
“We’ve had quite a few of our students tell us that they’ve seen the College’s name around Elland Road during games, which is great for us”, Cat Izzard explained.
“It means that people get to see us linked to their football club and feel part of that as well. Everyone at the College, whether they’re going to games or watching Leeds on TV, they are always looking for our name to pop up during the games!”
Leeds College of Building is also invited to exclusive Business Club events, which have previously included a Q&A evening with club legend Eddie Gray.
Providing a range of courses, from plumbing to architectural technology, Cat Izzard detailed how these events have helped the college connect with local employers:
“Two of our managers went to the most recent event and said it was fantastic; not just because it was a great night, but also because two of our employers were there as well. It’s good for our employers – who are our customers – to see that we’re supporting Leeds United.
“It has led to us meeting new businesses that we could work with in the future. One of our managers came away from one of the events with a business card for a local company that were looking to take on a couple of apprentices, so, partnering with the Business Club is certainly going to have a positive impact, in terms of recruitment.”
