In this blog Lucy Rees, Newicon's Chief People Officer, takes a look at an exciting new Bristol-wide internship programme that she's helping to organise, and that Newicon is taking part in.
Young, talented people from minority and low income groups are currently extremely under-represented in both tech and creative industries. That needs to change. And we’re actively trying to change it.
In an effort to make this change we’re very excited to announce that we’re one of 15 companies in Bristol that are taking part in the Bristol Creative Industries Internship Programme.
In partnership with Babbasa (who are taking care of recruitment), the paid internship programme is a groundbreaking new initiative designed to teach long-term skills in the fields of advertising, marketing, design, animation and digital.
Interns will get the opportunity to spend three months each at two different agencies. The aim being to give them a chance to really get to grips with a variety of skills and give them the knowledge and experience to make informed decisions about their future.
The programme is linked to ‘Our City 2030’ vision, a bold and positive target to support at least one person from each inner-city household in Bristol to secure a median salary (£30,353) by 2030. Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees, opened the launch event in November 2022.
Bristol Creative Industries Internship Programme will play a strong part in making that goal a reality.
I’ve been a part of the working group for this programme since the start, and I’m so excited that we now have the resources to make the project a reality.
The word passionate is overused, but I can’t think of a better way to describe how I feel about the need to address the barriers that are currently in place that stop the under-represented and people from low-income households from fully participating in the creative and tech industries.
And from Newicon’s point of view it’s important that we give back to Bristol, and I can’t think of a better way then enabling the next generation — particularly those who struggle to get a foothold in this industry — to get ahead. Not only is that important for the interns, but it’s great for the companies involved too!
There’s so much untapped talent being held back by their circumstances, and this is a fantastic opportunity to tap into that.
As a tech company with a strong focus on design, Newicon will be offering interns a unique mix of experience covering everything from software development to UX design and marketing. We hope that interns will leave after 3 months with a real grasp on the whole process of software design and development, and giving them insight into whether this is a career path they want to follow.
Adding to the excitement of this programme — and a strong indicator that it’s a fantastic idea — is the fact that other cities have already approached us to talk about running this programme elsewhere.
So not only is there going to be more creative opportunities for under-represented young people in Bristol, but potentially the whole of the UK!
With the help of these interns we can make sure that the under-represented become a creative and technical force in the Bristol workplace and beyond.
The first step is applying. The deadline for applications is 28th March 2023, with interviews taking place on 4th and 5th April at Watershed in Bristol. And to apply you need to meet the following criteria:
Good luck to all applicants and I genuinely look forward to meeting you.
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