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Discover! Creative Careers Week expands to a month-long programme this November to connect 100,000 young people across the UK with creative industries

Discover! Creative Careers has announced a major expansion of its national government-funded programme to inspire more 11–18-year-olds into architecture and other creative industries.

Discover! Creative Careers’ flagship annual event, Discover! Creative Careers Week, has been expanded to a month-long programme of industry encounters this November. The event connects young people with real-world experiences in the creative industries through employer-led events, talks, and workshops designed to inspire future talent into architecture.

Data published in 2023 revealed that nearly two-thirds of new architects are based in London and the South East. Given the region is home to only 27% of the population, this highlights the stark regional disparity in the industry and need to create diverse pipelines of talent across the country.

This expansion follows on from the initiative receiving increased investment from the Department for Culture Media and Sport, who recognised its success in improving awareness of creative industry career paths for school students.

The initiative is administered by ScreenSkills in partnership with a steering group of nearly 30 leading creative industry organisations, educators, and career specialists. The programme aims to demystify creative sector pathways for young people, such as architecture, and ensure the next generation of creative professionals better reflects the UK’s diverse talent pool.

Already supporting Discover! Creative Careers Month is Steering Group Member The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), a professional body for architects dedicated to advancing architecture by promoting excellence in design and advocating for the built environment.

Almost 150 additional industry partners are already registered, from a wide range of creative subsectors including advertising and marketing, art and design, and architecture.  The programme will collaborate with Speakers for Schools on a series of virtual events throughout the month.

As part of the Discover! Creative Careers Programme, a work experience pilot will also be run by Mission Accomplished with a focus on in-person placements aimed at Years 10 and 11 building on the Department for Education’s ambition for two weeks’ worth of work experience for all young people. Work experience placement(s) in years 10-11 should allow students to experience a real working environment and begin to develop work-based skills and behaviours.

To harness the enthusiasm created by the month-long programme  and ensure it leads to greater access to the creative industries, ScreenSkills is also working with DWP and DCMS to identify entry-level roles for Jobcentre customers to begin careers in this exciting sector. The Government has identified the creative industries as one of eight “growth driving” sectors it will prioritise in its industrial strategy.

Discover! Creative Careers has also announced a planned expansion into two other UK nations, widening its reach and connecting even more young people with creative opportunities, with further details to be announced shortly.

Sophie Draper, Head of Learning at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), said:

“Discover! Creative Careers is so important to the Architecture industry as architecture is not something that is taught in schools. Young people therefore have little idea about what it means to be an architect, how to become an architect or the job opportunities linked to architecture.

“Teaching and careers staff also have limited knowledge about the pathways into architecture. Being able to engage with a diversity of young people across the UK through delivering events aimed at demystifying the profession and informing young people about what it is like to work in the built environment is therefore very important and beneficial to RIBA and the profession as the industry needs the talent of tomorrow and our town and cities need to reflect the young people that live in them.”

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: 

“With a huge range of exciting and fulfilling careers in our world-leading creative industries now on offer, it is so important that all young people – regardless of background – have the skills, tools and opportunities to pursue this if they wish.

“The expansion of the Discover! Creative Careers Programme will ensure that thousands of young people across the UK have the opportunity to be inspired as they start to think about life beyond their core education.”

The Discover! Creative Careers programme has been designed in collaboration with sector bodies, employers, education and careers professionals and provides a single front door to creative industry information, advice and guidance.

Mary Rose, Programme Lead at Discover! Creative Careers, said:

“Our mission is to make the architecture  sector — and the wider creative industries — accessible to every young person. We aim to remove barriers to access and reach those young people who are often overlooked. By doing so, we hope to inspire and encourage talented young people from different backgrounds, bringing a range of experiences and perspectives. We are looking for even more industry employers to provide encounters during 2025 and join our programme and partner events.”

Laura Mansfield, CEO at ScreenSkills, said:

“This expansion is a significant step for an already very successful programme and an endorsement of the huge value it has in opening doors for young people from all backgrounds to explore and consider a broad range of careers in the creative industries they might never have heard of. Working collaboratively pan-sector in this way is essential to sustaining growth and resilience and building a more inclusive and dynamic industry.”

Over the past two years, the programme’s vision of a strong, inclusive and diverse creative industries workforce has moved a little more into view; over 62,000 young people have experienced inspiring encounters as part of Discover! Creative Careers Week.