The British Olympic Association (BOA) has launched a new Athlete Career Programme in association with Adecco, the Zurich-based employment services firm.

The programme aims to support British athletes through their competitive years and beyond, and will be delivered in cooperation with the established networks of Performance Lifestyle in the Home Country Sports Institutes (HCSIs) and the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust (DKH).

The organisations will focus on giving athletes the skills and training needed to allow them to take up the employment opportunities made available through the networks.

The scheme will: provide placement support for athletes through Adecco's networks in the UK; provide a series of workshops and an Athlete Career Fair for those retiring after 2012; give access to Adecco's online suite of more than 6,000 training courses; and give athletes who need to train abroad access to the international support network of the IOC Athlete Career Programme.

Dame Kelly Holmes said: "Part of what the DKH Legacy Trust does is to help retiring sporting champions answer the question 'what next?' - and I'm thrilled that the BOA has seen the value of our work and asked us to deliver the Athlete Career Programme for retired Olympians.

"We are looking forward to helping these elite sports performers make the most of the skills and expertise gained through a lifetime of competing, once their time on the sports field is over."