Career Pathways
Many brilliant organisations and resources exist to inspire and support young people with a career in the advertising and media industry. Please read on for some varied and exciting opportunities.
Skills England
Skills England is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Work and Pensions, that works with partners to create better skills for better jobs, enabling growth and opportunity. Working across government, Skills England ensures both young people and adults have clear education and training pathways.
Its priorities are to understand the nation’s skills needs and improve our skills offer, simplify access to skills to boost economic growth, and mobilise employers and other partners to co-create solutions to meet national, regional and local skills needs.
Futures For All
Futures For All is one of the UK’s most influential social mobility charities, originally founded in 2010 by ITV Political Editor Robert Peston. The charity helps young people from state schools and colleges access real-world experiences, inspirational speakers, and new opportunities, working on the principle that talent is spread evenly across the country, but opportunity is not.
Since 2010 it has supported around 1.85 million young people, delivering more than 10,000 inspirational talks and connecting over 35,000 young people with work placements, matching schools with hundreds of employers and handling the practical logistics involved. It is the largest provider of work experience in the UK, and is over 90% funded by grants and donations.
The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising
The IPA is the trade body and professional institute for agencies and individuals working in the UK’s advertising, media and marketing communications industry. They have a comprehensive section of their website devoted to information and advice on careers in advertising for entry level talent and advisors, including lots of information on apprenticeships and programmes available for young people.
They also organise ‘Advertising Unlocked’, an annual industry wide ‘Open Day’. The initiative invites top UK media and advertising agencies to open their doors to pupils to give them further insight into how campaigns are made and relevant job roles.
Institute of Data & Marketing
The IDM is an organisation that exists to support, encourage and improve marketing performance with development programmes. They offer both IRL and online courses and qualifications to advance your marketing knowledge or boost your skills.
GOV.UK
GOV.UK is an official platform for finding government services and information. They have a microsite specific to giving resources and support on apprenticeships, as well as actual apprenticeship opportunities to browse through.
www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/apprentices/useful-resources-for-apprentices
ERIC App
The ERIC app is primarily for young people who are 16+ and leaving or have left education with an interest in the creative industries. Their objective is to make it easier for everyone to find and access early-career and upskilling creative opportunities. The app is also useful for career leaders, teachers & parents who want to find career opportunities for their students or children.
Discover! Creative Careers
Discover! Creative Careers is a government-funded, industry-led programme working to ensure there is a larger and more diverse intake of talent into the creative industries. Their website contains a wealth of information and opportunities from the creative industry.
The Ideas Foundation
The Ideas Foundation works with schools, brands and agencies to promote the message that the creative industry is open to everyone. Their website contains lots of resources for students, as well as opportunities for schools.
Livity
Livity is a creative business that has spent the last 21 years working hand in hand with brands and the next generation of talent to build a better future. They have a wealth of experience helping young people, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, navigate pathways into the creative industry, running regular industry programmes which include work experience in paid placements with some of the biggest agencies in the business.
Creative Lives in Progress
Creative Lives in Progress (formerly Lecture in Progress) is an inclusive creative careers resource, on a mission to transform the way emerging talent access, understand and connect with the industry. They encourage greater transparency and representation within the creative working world by sharing advice and insight, alongside entry-level opportunities, as well as hosting events that bring talent and industry together.
UPRISER by Saatchi & Saatchi
A generation of young people is leaving school unaware of creativity as a career option. But the creative industries are crying out for new voices and perspectives. Upriser by Saatchi & Saatchi exists to bring them together. This programme matchmakes creative companies with UK secondary schools, and provides an open-source playbook to facilitate meaningful and sustained partnerships.
Into Film
Our Careers Hub keeps careers professionals and educators up-to-date with the essential information and resources needed to advise on opportunities across the screen and media industries. If you’re working with young people aged 11-18, Into Film is the place to develop your own knowledge of the sector.
