Industry and Employer Pack

Discover Creative Careers

Thank you for registering to deliver Discover Creative Careers activity. This page gives further information on the what the programme looks like, and what activity you can help to deliver.
You can view the Discover Creative Careers Privacy Policy here.
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How to get involved

Contribution commitment

We are hugely grateful to all the organisations who give their time and support to young people considering a job in the creative industries. All activity is delivered on a voluntary basis, and we ask that you only commit to what your organisation's size and capacity will allow. Thank you again for playing a critical role in making creative pathways genuinely fair and accessible for all.

1-2 Hour Contribution

Inspirational talks

Are you a creative industry leader with a story to tell? Share your journey and answer young people's questions in an assembly-style talk at a secondary state school near you. (AGES 11-19 • 1 HOUR • IN-PERSON)

Discover with webinars

Speak on an online webinar about your organisation or sub sector. During the hour long talk, you can showcase your organisation, highlight current opportunities and help young people understand how to get into the industry. (AGES 16-24 • 1 HOUR • ONLINE)

Industry workshops for education

Visit a local school and run a workshop for a secondary school class of During the 2 hour session you can set up hands-on activities inspired by real workplace projects from your job and teach them some key skills. They would love to know about the type of people and their jobs in your organisation or sub sector too.
Often we pair the workshop with an inspirational talk.

(AGES 11-18 • 2 HOURS • IN-PERSON)

Broadcasts

Run a live online talk for young people. These broadcasts are about fuelling creative career ambitions and will be more than a presentation. Think interactive Q&A, demonstrations of creative skills or projects and how you can bring roles and careers to life. Available on demand. 
(AGES 11-19 • 1 HOUR • ONLINE)

SEND work experience 

You will be booked in to a 1 hour online slot that is part of a wider multi-speaker online programme for learners with additional needs. Your hour session can share employability skills, career insight and examples of inclusive workplace practice. 
(AGES 14-19 • 1 HOUR • ONLINE) 

4-8 Hour Contribution

Virtual insight days

Bring young people behind-the-scenes for a virtual work experience day, giving them access to your team, with interactive activities and discussion. You can run Q&A, mini tours and show them projects you have worked on. Perhaps even set them some activities to do and provide feedback.

(AGES 14-19 • 4 HOURS • ONLINE)

Year 9 work experience (England only)

Delivered in-school or online, this is 4 hours a day over two days. Bring young people behind-the-scenes for a virtual work experience day, giving them access to your team, with interactive activities and discussion. You can run Q&A, mini tours and show them projects you have worked on. Perhaps even set them some activities to do and provide feedback.
(AGES 13-14 • 8 HOURS OVER 2 DAYS • IN-PERSON OR ONLINE)

Industry mixer networking

Can you host a networking event for 18-24yr olds? We are looking for organisations with a workplace or a cluster of organisations to open their doors for 2-4hrs and offer an informal event. You can have talks, interactice stands and workplace tours. All geared towards helping young people in your local area make connections.
(AGES 18-24 • 4 HOURS • IN-PERSON) 

2 Days or up to 12 Month Contribution

Multi-day work experience

Open your workplace to young people for 2-5 days. By hosting a minimum of three people you will can build a work experience that fits your team and weekly activitiy. It can include tours, staff Q&As, first-hand experience through projects, live briefs and real industry challenges.
Please note, to deliver this activity we require that you have a physical workplace and over 2 employees.

(AGES 14-19 • 2-5 DAYS • IN-PERSON)

SWAPs (Sector-based Work Academy Programme)

You can offer up your workplace and a supported programme of activity to local 18+. Selected young people will spend 2-5 days with you building essential skills in the workplace and suppoting day to day activity. 
(AGES 18-24 • 2-5 DAYS OVER 1-3 WEEKS • IN-PERSON)

Creative Access traineeships

We are looking for organisation to provide paid 3+ month placements for local 18-24yr olds. Creative Access with provide specialist recruitment, training and wraparound support. 
(AGES 18-24 • 3+ MONTHS • IN-PERSON OR HYBRID) 

Programme activity

8-Sep-03-2026-11-25-49-1807-AM

The Discover Creative Careers programme is designed to be flexible, with a range of activities running throughout the year that you can engage with. You can select the activity that suits your capacity as a business.

Whether you can spare one hour, one day or one year, there are so many ways for creative organisations, practitioners and employers to inspire talent, open doors and build creative career pathways.

Want to talk to a member of the team? Book in a briefing call. Please note, the link will take you to a registration page on Eventbrite. For information on how Eventbrite will process your data, read their privacy policy.

Discover Creative Careers Grants

  • Grants up to £4000
  • Available to cover cost of hyperlocal activity with young people 11- 24yrs old
  • The grant is available to all creative industry organisations based in the United Kingdom, including the devolved nations.
  • Project activity must take place between 1st January 2027 – 31st March 2027.

The Discover Creative Careers programme is committed to ensuring that there are creative career opportunities for young people across the United Kingdom.

Our grants enable hyperlocal activity to happen with creative industry SMEs, charities and CICs on the ground, in the local ecology so that real pathways into skills and jobs are opened up. The activity can be designed by organisations, as a solution to a gap you have identified in the creative career provision. We are interested in seeing innovative ways that young people can be empowered by skills development and new connections and look forward to using successful activity as case studies for the wider programme.

It is important to us that the most underserved groups of young people are prioritised for this activity, ensuring that gaps in provision and opportunity are improved for the young people who really need to be supported most. Within your application, you will need to identify a community of young people in a particular place, what need this activity supports, and provide insight about their needs and current challenges.

We are particularly looking for grant applications of any activity in the devolved nations.

We are particularly looking to fund paid traineeship opportunities across the United Kingdom.

How to apply

  1. Create an account on the Creative UK application portal.
  2. Apply on the application page.
  3. Application deadline is 30th November.
  4. Applicants will be told of decisions by early December.

For information on how Creative UK will handle your data, please read their privacy policy.

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Learn more about the grants

Our team will be hosting a webinar to discuss the grants, the application process, and answer your questions.

12pm, Thursday 29th October

11am, Thursday 5th November

11am, Thursday 12th November

Register for your place here. Please note, the link will take you to a registration page on Eventbrite. For information on how Eventbrite will process your data, read their privacy policy.

 

Employer benefits

We want to celebrate the amazing organisations, businesses and creative practitioners who are investing in talent by providing work experience, traineeships, paid internships, entry-level roles and more.

Once signed up, your organisation will be able to connect directly with diverse young talent in your local area while unlocking a host of meaningful benefits.

Sign up to webinar

Benefits

Discover Creative Careers badges

Accreditation 

The Discover Creative Career badge is a DCC Collective accredited, high brand value asset that recognises those who are actively supporting creative careers education and access to creative careers pathways, particularly for young people who face barriers into the industry. Badged organisations and individuals are recognised as providing insights, safe experiences and progression pathways. The activity you have completed, under our assurances, satisfies the government led Gatsby Benchmarks and Employment standards, to shape an inspired and informed future creative workforce.

This is the first time that the work of ambassadors for the programme is being recognised with a formal accreditation, spotlighting the efforts of those in the creative industry who are passionate and active in supporting creative education and providing access to creative careers for the next generation.

There are two badges that can be issued, spotlighting different levels of advocacy for creative careers:

Champion: organisations or individuals who work with young people on the ground and within the Discover Creative Careers activity framework, to open pathways, share knowledge and inspire the next generation. At this stage you need to register your interest to work with us. Once you have delivered an activity with us, we can accredit you.

Leader: organisations or individuals who make strategic impact at local or national levels to improve policy, local infrastructure or opportunities for young people.

If you would like to be considered for a leader accreditation, please read our guidelines and process document, and complete our form outlining the relevant work you have done. If you need support with the form, please email discovercc@wearecreative.uk. Decisions on who is issued with a badge are made on a monthly basis. 

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Visibility & Profile

Your success stories will be amplified, featured as case studies and showcased across dedicated social media spotlights.

We’ll share your achievements with a powerful audience of industry partners, passionate educators, and the next generation of young creative talent.

You can share your Discover Creative Careers success stories that you would like us to promote here. Find our guidance on how to draft a success story here.

(MONTHLY ACTIVITY ROUND UP • YEAR ROUND CASE STUDIES)

Networking

Unlock exclusive access to the spaces where the future of the creative sector is being shaped.

Connect with wider employer communities, peer networks, policy roundtables, and industry events.

(YEAR ROUND OPPORTUNITIES).