ASPIRE - creative freelance training for unemployed individuals aged 16-30 from BAME backgrounds

The Pitch

Problem statement

With an estimated 2,040,000 jobs, the UK’s creative industries are developing new jobs faster than any other sector. In 2018, creative industries grew jobs by 1.6%, whereas general employment increased by only 0.8%. While there is an appetite for creative working, many young people struggle to break into the industry. Interestingly, 49% of surveyed young people aged 16-25 want a career in the creative industries (70% for 16–18-year-olds), but 62% of all students said they do not feel they receive adequate information about creative careers at school or from parents/role models. As well as information, many young people lack the necessary soft skills and opportunities to show their talents.

Solution

To address the issues above, we are training 30 young creatives (aged 16-30 who are unemployed & from BAME backgrounds) over 12 months to use their skills and talents to access the creative industry. The young creatives will take part in workshops facilitated by field experts. Tax & bookkeeping, confidence & decision making, emotional intelligence, dealing with clients and time management are a few examples of the core workshops. We will offer specialist training in key creative areas (e.g., photography, filmmaking, graphic design) and match participants with mentors. After completing the project, participants will be eligible to join our agency and secure paid work as a freelancer.

Why are we best placed to deliver?

You Press is an award-winning social enterprise with 10+ years' experience working with young people from minority backgrounds and underrepresented groups. We are East London based, but our projects have regional, national, and international reach. We are committed to working with young people from varied social and cultural backgrounds and our team reflects this. Almost all our team members grew up in East London, we are BAME led, and we have lived experience of the challenges faced by the communities we work with. Over the past five years we have: delivered 20+ successful projects, trained 700+ young people, and offered paid and/or voluntary work experience to 150+ young creatives.

Focus Areas

Delivery plan

Budget breakdown

Beneficiaries

30 people

Who will benefit

Expected impact

Of the 30 young people who will participate in the project, we anticipate:● At least 80% will report increased confidence/self-belief as a result of taking part● At least 90% will report improved understanding of the following areas: decision making, tax and bookkeeping, dealing with difficult clients, emotional intelligence, and networking● At least 80% will report feeling more positive about the career options and opportunities available to them●At least 80% will report improvements in their creative skills● At least 80% will report feeling more positive about their professional networks● 20+ young people will secure paid freelance work through our creative agency within three months of completing the project (a further five after six months)● 20+ young people will be supported to find and complete further training● 10+ young people will undertake an internship or work experience placement with You Press ● Every participant will be matched with a mentor

Track record

ASPIRE 2020/21 – We launched delivery of our pilot ASPIRE programme in October 2020, having been forced to delay the programme several times due to Covid-19. We had over 30+ applicants and more than 20 completions. 100% of participants fed back that the sessions were informative and more than 90% said that all the sessions were engaging. Of the 30 young people who started the project, 10 secured a job after completion and 20 were referred to further training to support their personal and professional development. Many of the participants have since secured internships and paid work with You Press. One of the participants is now a member of our staff team. Other participants have since undertaken and completed degrees and taken on roles with organisations like Amazon and the Greater London Authority. "My experience was great and I highly recommend young people taking part in ASPIRE. I’ve learnt so much about myself and developed new skills which I will use for years to come" M.A

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