Image credit: https://www.togetherandsunspell.com — Image credit: https://www.togetherandsunspell.com

Create Gloucestershire was fortunate to be involved in a life changing initiative, the Creative Employment Programme which supported 40 young people as paid interns and apprentices in 20 different creative organisations/SME’s in taking their first step into working in the creative sector. Of those 40 young people, over half of them were kept on by their employer or moved on to further study.

Two years later, we have been in touch with many of the young people who took part in the programme to find out what they have been up to and discover any insights or tips can they give to anyone just starting out in their career.

We are delighted to hear how their career pathways have taken them into new and varied roles such as Production Manager at Mentor Digital in Bristol, setting up as a freelance artist and a jewellery design business, as Assistant Registrar with the National Museums Scotland, Grants Administrator at the Barnwood Trust, Customer Services Administrator for Glos Canals and Rivers Trust to Marketing Officer with the MS Society and Production Co-ordinator with VICE Media in London.

Find out more about what some of the co-hort have been doing and what advice they give here:

Isabel Farchy, founder of the Creative Mentor Network’s blog questions why the UK’s creative industry is missing the most promising young people. It feels we still have a long way to go and further work in how we prepare young people particularly from low-income and BAME backgrounds for careers in the sector. One of the areas highlighted is around the lack of awareness of opportunities, meaning that unless you have a route into the industry it is still very difficult to have an understanding of different roles and career paths within the creative industries.

Over the next four years Create Glos is committed to supporting individuals and organisations in the network. We want to attract, support and retain the best and most diverse talent by providing better access to training, employment and volunteering. We can only do this together through peer-to-peer activity and exchange across our network - so how can you help? There are many high quality offers to develop talent, with a steady flow of internship and apprentice opportunities (have a look on the CG Facebook page for regular updates), but these are fragmented and it is not easy to find out about them. So a plea to you is, to let us know about how you are supporting emerging young talent through your recruitment, volunteering and board representation so we can learn and share with the wider sector and more importantly, start to cascade change across the workforce.

We are interested in being part of your creative careers pathway events – such as the Window into the Museum Profession at The Wilson last week, in which 40 young people got an intimate insight into working in collections, learning and exhibitions. CG has also been invited to be part of the Creating Futures event with the University of Gloucestershire. Let us know how we can work together.

Create Glos has created a new page on the website – Creative Steps with useful links, advice and guidance on pathways and routes geared towards the arts, culture and creative industries.

Do let us know if you think anything is missing or discovered other ways in finding information, careers advice or opportunities geared towards the arts, culture and creative industries so we can create stronger pathways for talent sharing and development across the sector.