Leveling the playing field at the FA with personalized learning
How do you support 170,000+ learners across every level of English football? In this podcast episode, we’re joined by Nick Baker, Senior Lead: Learning Design and Digital Innovation at the Football Association (FA), to explore how they’re making coach education more personalized, inclusive, and effective. From grassroots volunteers to elite professionals, Nick shares how the FA is building a learning ecosystem that meets people where they are – by understanding what really matters and designing for real-life needs.
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Top tips for delivering personalized learning at scale
Don’t have time to listen now? Here’s a quick summary of what you’ll learn in this episode:
- Personalization is essential – One size doesn’t fit all. Modular qualifications and flexible pathways help meet learners’ individual needs.
- Go where your learners are – Support busy volunteers on platforms they already use, like TikTok and Instagram.
- Design for real-life needs – Forget personas. Start with what learners actually struggle with and design from there.
- Create a consistent learning culture – Build a welcoming experience that brings learners back, again and again.
- Put connection before content – Personalized learning should feel like a journey that adapts to learners’ goals.
1. Personalization is essential
When you’re training everyone from complete beginners to ex-professionals, a one-size-fits-all model just doesn’t work. Nick explains how the FA is breaking qualifications into smaller, modular chunks and tailoring learning to different contexts, needs, and levels of experience. This not only helps learners access the right support at the right time, but also makes learning more relevant, motivating, and accessible to all backgrounds.
“We’re trying to move away from that one-size-fits-all approach to designing qualifications and trying to democratize our learning… to make it open and accessible to everybody and for everybody to get out of it what they want.”
2. Go where your learners are
Most FA learners are volunteers balancing football with work and family. They don’t have time to seek out courses. Instead, Nick emphasizes the importance of looking at where people already spend their attention – like Instagram or TikTok – and creating learning moments that show up in those spaces. The goal isn’t just convenience; it’s about lowering the barrier to access and supporting learning in the flow of real life.
“How do we create this low bar of access for people so they don’t have to go and find it? We show up in spaces and places where they’re already spending their attention and hopefully provide some value.”
3. Design for real-life needs
Nick’s team doesn’t start with content. They start by identifying real challenges learners face in their day-to-day work and then design practical interventions that actually help – whether that’s a short video, a job aid, or a simple tip. The emphasis is on making a tangible difference in the moment, not on delivering abstract knowledge or formal courses.
“Have a real understanding of what people are struggling with, what challenges they face in the day-to-day, and provide not content – provide stuff that really matters and helps them.”
4. Create a consistent learning culture
Personalized learning isn’t just about tech, it’s also about building a cohesive experience that feels human. Nick explains how the FA aims to create an inclusive, familiar learning environment that makes people feel welcome and confident to return – helping foster trust and long-term engagement.
“If we can create a familiar, welcoming, inclusive environment and experience, then hopefully that puts people at ease and makes them more comfortable and more likely to come back.”
5. Put connection before content
At the heart of the FA’s learning strategy is a commitment to connection. Nick’s vision is for a smart, intuitive journey that learns with the individual and adapts to their evolving goals. Personalized learning should feel like an ongoing relationship – not just a static catalog – providing tailored support that makes learning more human, meaningful, and sustainable.
“A tool that really gets to know the individual, where they are now, where they’ve come from, and also where they want to be… almost a concierge service that takes you with you on a journey”.
About Nick
Nick is Senior Lead: Learning Design and Digital Innovation at the FA, where he’s driving the transformation of coach education for the modern game. With 15+ years of experience at the organization, he brings deep expertise in learning strategy, stakeholder engagement, and digital transformation.
Connect with Nick on LinkedIn.
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