Nineteen trainees from West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester have graduated from Channel 4’s Content Creatives Scheme…
The trainees successfully completed eight weeks of bespoke training and sixteen weeks on work placements honing their skills in the creative industry.
Kevin Blacoe, Channel 4’s Head of Partnerships & Skills, Nations & Regions:
“It’s been wonderful to hear such glowing feedback from our partners and colleagues in 4Studio about how our trainees have grown their skills and knowledge throughout their placements, as well as hear first-hand from trainees how much they enjoyed the scheme.
“At Channel 4, we are committed to helping talent from all over the UK and are grateful to all our partners for helping to ensure young people have the opportunity to grow their skills and experience, building the foundation for their future careers.”
At a graduation event held last night Thursday, March 6th), hosted by 4Skills, trainees showcased their work and spoke about the highlights of their placements, before networking with industry professionals. A wide variety of partners took part in the scheme providing valuable work placements for the Content Creatives.
Six trainees worked at Channel 4’s in-house digital content studio, 4Studio at the broadcaster’s Leeds hub while others work with companies from West Yorkshire and Manchester. They included Social, Bradford 2024, Limehouse, FinnComms, NSMM, Brawl, Jaywing, Campus Industries and Royal Armouries, while Greater Manchester partners included One Day, Social, Red Bricks and Tangerine.
Trainees also benefitted from an additional eight weeks of classroom-based learning at the start of the scheme, led by training provider Sharp Futures, which nurtured their skills in video editing, pitching, campaign strategy, and podcasting.
Beth Loker, who has landed a job as a direct result of her participation in the Content Creatives scheme, “A year ago I never would of thought I’d be getting a permanent role in the creative industry, but here I am [with a job offer following placement] and I’ve truly learnt and grown so much thanks to the Content Creatives Programme and Brawl. It is a Bonus to be part of such an amazing team in my next chapter! Onwards and upwards.”
Over 100 trainees have been part of the Content Creatives scheme since it first launched in 2020, with alumni going on to pursue creative careers with employers such as 4Studio, McCann, and Dentsu. The Content Creatives scheme is open to anyone aged over the age of 18 currently living in West Yorkshire or Manchester or able to commute, with a particular focus on people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
The initiative is just one of many projects being supported by 4Skills, which will invest £10m in training, development and learning opportunities annually from 2025.
Daniel Gbolagun, who undertook his placement at One Day Agency, also shared his experience, “Channel 4’s Content Creatives scheme and my placement at One Day Agency sharpened my design, content creation, and presenting skills while giving me real industry insight. The biggest lesson for me was that great creative work thrives on feedback. A highlight was convincing Ricardo, (CEO & Founder of One Day Agency) to let me run the agency’s social media—since then, I’ve built engaging behind-the-scenes content that showcases the team’s personality.”
