by Ellie Edwards-Scott, Co-Founder of The Advisory Collective and a Trustee of Digilearning
As an industry we pride ourselves on being forward thinking.
We talk constantly about innovation, disruption and the next generation of talent that will shape the future of our businesses. But while we celebrate the idea of the “next generation”, the pathways into our industry remain uneven and for many young people are still out of reach.
Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not.
We can all point to instances in our careers that were shaped by moments of access: someone opening a door, an introduction to the right person, an internship that led to a first role, or an invitation to a room where ideas are shaped and careers are formed.
But for young people without these networks, those opportunities rarely appear on their own.
The UK youth unemployment rate for 16-24yr olds currently sits at around 16% costing the economy an estimated £26bn per year in lost productivity and tax revenue. Even more alarming is the fact that 1 in 8 young people aged between 16-24 are NEET – not in Education, Employment or Training.
Many of these young people have degrees, skills and ambition but simply can’t get that first foot through the door.
There are so many talented young people that never see a clear route into the industry. Others cannot afford unpaid internships or the cost of travelling to the events, conferences and learning opportunities that often provide the first real connections.
As an industry that prides itself on creativity and innovation, we have to ask ourselves a difficult question: if the same types of people continue to enter the industry through the same pathways, how diverse will our thinking really be?
This is where organisations like Digilearning are working to change the story.
Digilearning is a registered UK charity that exists to help young people access the mentorship, exposure and industry experience needed to build careers in the digital and creative sectors. Run by the force of nature that is Lisa Goodchild, there are a variety of programmes such as Rise and Social Mobility Month that give young people from a wide range of backgrounds gain access to mentors, work experience, industry insight days and a pathway to work.
The results can be transformational.
Past participants have gone on to work at companies such as 59A, Accenture, The Digital Voice, Kiln, KPMG, Mobolise, The Outdoor Collective and WeTransfer. Some have also launched their own businesses.
In many cases, all it took was one opportunity or one moment of access to unlock potential that had previously gone unseen.
Access and opportunity shouldn’t just stop at entry-level programmes.
Real career acceleration often happens when young talent are exposed to the wider industry: the conversations, events and environments where ideas are exchanged and networks are built.
That is why Digilearning takes young leaders to events such as POSSIBLE in Miami which has established itself as one of the fastest-growing events in our industry.
For many young people, attending an event like this would normally be impossible.
However, through Digilearning’s programmes, however, young talent are not only able to attend they are given the opportunity to actively participate through reporting, interviews, mentorship sessions and industry engagement.
This kind of exposure matters.
If our industry is serious about understanding and connecting with the audiences of tomorrow, we need those voices present in the conversations happening today.
Supporting initiatives like Digilearning is not just about social impact or doing the right thing it is also about building a more resilient, creative and culturally informed industry.
In an industry built on understanding audiences, widening access to talent isn’t just a moral exercise it’s a commercial one.
Digilearning is currently raising funds to take young people to POSSIBLE in Miami, covering travel, accommodation and programme support.
If you would like to contribute, you can donate here.
And if you or your company would like to explore other ways to support Digilearning through mentoring, sponsorship or partnership, we would love to hear from you.
The future of marketing and media will not only be defined by technology and innovation.
It will also be defined by the people that we invite into the room.
And ensuring that the next generation of talent has a seat at that table is something the entire industry has a role in shaping.
