Young people can use football to prepare for the job market

Through its sponsorship strategy and partnerships, DS Gruppen aims to make a positive contribution to addressing the societal challenge of young people’s mental health and well-being. One way we do this is by participating in the “Football for the Future” project.

In August 2025, we attended the launch event for DBU’s “Football for the Future” project at IK Rosendal. The project has already enjoyed great success in other municipalities and has now well and truly kicked off in Mariagerfjord Municipality.

The project is aimed at young people aged 15–29, all of whom are affiliated with FGU or a municipal youth programme. The purpose of the project is to create meaningful communities for young people and develop new methods focused on helping them progress into employment or education.

At the launch, Edin Hajder from DBU Jylland, Jesper Glinvad Schultz from FGU Himmerland, Martin Bengtson, Head of the Youth Centre in Mariagerfjord Municipality, and Pia Poulsen from IK Rosendal spoke about the project. Tina Woods, Head of Marketing at DS Gruppen A/S, and Nuun Ebert Nielsen from DS Stålkonstruktion A/S explained why it is important for local businesses to support the initiative.

Poor well-being and mental health challenges

Figures from Statistics Denmark show that more than 30% of young people in Denmark have low self-esteem or experience daily symptoms of poor well-being and mental health challenges. This primarily concerns ‘Generation Z’ (born in 1995 or later): digital natives who have grown up during a period of great uncertainty, social change, enormous development and Covid-19. Fortunately, we also have a group of young people who are full of dreams and strengths.

Through DS’s partnership with ‘Football for the Future’, we aim to support and actively contribute to a positive future for young people, where they are resilient, have greater self-esteem and can thrive in the workplace and life that await them. Joy was already bubbling over on the pitch when the young people were let loose to enjoy free play and barbecue food on the terrace after the opening speeches.

‘It is important to us to help young people get a good start in life and in their careers. We should all feel well! Through projects such as “Football for the Future”, we can help make a difference by offering a good workplace and work placement opportunities to young people in the local area,’ says Tina Woods, Marketing Manager at DS Gruppen, continuing: ‘Fortunately, we already know many of the young people well because of our existing close collaboration with FGU in Hobro.’

DS Elcobyg and its Production Manager, Bjarne Andersen, are particularly involved in the collaboration with FGU in Hobro. Bjarne is a truly passionate individual who is dedicated to helping young people. (Read more about Bjarne’s work with young people).

An Apprentice Coordinator with a passion for supporting young people

We also collaborate with headspace Denmark, where our apprentice coordinator at DS Stålkonstruktion, Nuun Ebert Nielsen, takes part in workshops at both FGU and local vocational colleges. “Football for the Future” is a natural extension of this collaboration. 

Nuun says that she is passionate about working with young people, their wellbeing and mental health.

“I am incredibly proud to be part of a workplace where we go out and meet young people, and where we try to make a real difference through collaborations and sponsorships(LINK). When I go out with headspace, we receive a very warm welcome, and I am sure that we can also make a difference through ‘Football for the Future’,” says Nuun.

About the Author

Oline Erfurth Eskebjerg Christiansen

With a background as a trained journalist and marketing management graduate, Oline makes a strong contribution to digital communication across DS Gruppen. In addition, through her engaging writing style, she communicates both internally and externally – whether it is employee profiles, project news, organizational updates, or stories about our sponsorships. Oline also has prior experience with magazine articles, social media content, video, advertorials, and other areas within journalism and communication.