That was the case for Katie Trearty and Scott Gardner, who found the process of getting back in to work daunting.

After years out of work single mum Katie feared she would be financially worse off, while Scott, who became unemployed after doing the same job for six years, worried his CV was not up to scratch.

Yet a trip to Falkirk Stadium turned both their lives around – and they haven't looked back since.

Under the banner of Falkirk Solutions, Falkirk Football Club is working in partnership with Jobcentre Plus, Falkirk Council and Learn Direct Scotland to offer employment courses which are taught both on and off the pitch.

Katie (36) from Denny recently took part in the initiative's Solve It programme, designed to specifically help lone parents back to work. Scott (34) attended the Support Employment course.

Other schemes on offer include the Kick Start project aimed at school leavers and Support Employment Plus, which helps ex offenders and those who have suffered from substance abuse.

Katie, who has a teenage daughter, now works in retail. She said: "I wish there had been things like this when my daughter was younger. If there had been I would have been in work a long time ago. I can't believe how much better off I am."

The courses, which have been running since 2006, last for eight or 10 weeks. Participants can only take part once and each course can take up to 16 people at a time.

Katie said: "I had been looking for a job for a while but no one was entertaining me. I had been out of work for six years and when people hear you are a single parent they don't think of you as being capable of doing the job.

"This course helps you realise that these things are just obstacles. Being around people who are in the same situation makes you feel less intimidated."

Scott, from Falkirk, had only been unemployed for a few months when he joined the Support Employment course in March.

Despite having previously worked for an electronics company he felt lost when it came to updating his CV and attending interviews.

He said: "Everything had changed since I was last looking for work. I couldn't even get an interview.

''But they helped me with my CV and interview techniques and boosted my confidence."

Participants spend the morning in the classroom learning everything from work place skills to how to get their confidence back, then after lunch they head to the training ground where they transfer what they have learned in to a sports context, using a range of activities from yoga and reiki to football.

It is this mix of classroom learning and outdoor recreation that Craig McManus, Falkirk Solutions welfare manager, believes makes the courses so successful.

He said: "People are interested in coming down to the stadium because of the football, since starting the courses in 2006 we have been using football as the hook.

"The whole process of going to the football club is more credible than saying you are going to the local job centre. We're trying to show that there is an opportunity to come in to a local football club and learn beneficial skills."

Dave Cowie, district manger of Jobcentre Plus, said: "The courses introduce other things which the job centre cannot. The Solve It participants do reiki and yoga – we cannot deliver like that."

The courses are not all fun and games however, the participants also benefit from job search training and are put through their paces by Rotary Club members when they come to do mock interviews.

Dave said: "In Scotland around 15 clubs are doing similar courses, it started with Rangers and Celtic.

''Falkirk was the first to get on board in this area and it really is one of the best initiatives in the country."

According to Scott, who is now employed with Asda, the level of after-care offered by Falkirk Solutions also makes the course worthwhile.

He said: "It's different from other courses. They still phone you up, and they look for work for you and encourage you to try certain things."

Craig agreed, saying: "Someone asked how long our after-care lasts, and I said that it lasts a lifetime."