Channel 4 launches creative career opportunities for young people in Yorkshire

9 February 2022

Channel 4 has launched a new initiative aimed at young people in Yorkshire offering the chance to kickstart a career in creative digital media.

Up to sixteen people will be able to take part in Content Creatives, a 4Skills initiative, targeted at 18-24 year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds who have a passion for digital content and creativity.

During this 14-week fully paid scheme, people who secure a place will undergo six weeks of bespoke training with SharpFutures followed by an eight-week work placement to put these skills into practice at a creative digital organisation in Leeds. These work placements will be with 4Studio, Channel 4’s Leeds-based digital content production unit or with a range of creative digital partners in Leeds.

Sinéad Rocks, Managing Director Nations and Regions said: “One of our key priorities is to offer genuine life-changing opportunities to people who otherwise would never consider a career in the digital creative sector. If you’ve got passion, imagination and you’re creative this could be just the opportunity you’ve been searching for. Last year’s Content Creatives pilot scheme led to a trainee landing a job with 4Studio which is exactly the outcome we want to achieve.”

Lee Stanley, CEO at SharpFutures, a social enterprise which supports diverse talent into employment in the creative digital sector, said: “Last year’s Content Creatives was a brilliant experience so it’s great to see it return for 2022 with greater numbers, more partners and an expanded curriculum. SharpFutures is passionate about supporting new and diverse talent, and we are excited to work with 4Studio again along with new partners to bring through this next cohort. The combination of paid creative digital skills development and work-based placements make Content Creatives an amazing opportunity for young people in Yorkshire”

During their six-week paid training, which is due to start in May, the group will experience all aspects of creating and delivering digital content. They’ll undertake a range of courses covering skills such as production techniques, digital storytelling, ideas generation and pitching skills, alongside soft skills such as communication and teamwork.

Channel 4 has been joined by a range of Leeds-based creative partner companies to increase the impact and scale of Content Creatives. Alongside 4 Studio these partners will offer 8-week work placements and be involved in the training and support for the young people taking part. These partners include McCann Leeds, Born Ugly, Dubit, Social and CreativeRace.

Olly Sowden, Managing Partner at McCann Leeds, said: "Diversity, equality and inclusion is a key pillar of McCann's philosophy, and by supporting Channel 4 and its Content Creatives programme, we hope to give a platform to young people who may not have otherwise had access to the inner workings of a global creative agency.

“Some of the most creative ideas are often a blend of insight and lived experience and bringing together young people and fostering a raw passion for creative advertising, founded on insight and diversity, can only lead to some outstanding experiences for everyone involved.”

Sarah Dear, Managing Partner at Born Ugly said: “At Born Ugly, we are on a mission to change lives through the impact of our work. We believe that the potential for impact is born from extraordinary ideas forged by bringing people together with different backgrounds, perspectives, capabilities and experiences. Because when diverse perspectives come together we all push one another to go further. That's why we are delighted to take part in this much needed initiative to widen the creative gene pool.”

The Content Creatives scheme is open to people aged 18-24 who live within the Yorkshire region. Applications need to be submitted by Monday 28th February and can be made at https://sharpfutures.org.uk/content-creatives-course-2022/

In addition to the scheme this spring, another larger Content Creatives course will be set to run this autumn.

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Notes to Editors

4Skills is Channel 4’s nationwide training and development strategy which aims to create over 15,000 opportunities nationwide in 2022 with a particular focus on people from diverse and disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds who want a career in broadcasting. (https://careers.channel4.com/4skills)

4Studio is the engine room for C4’s digital acceleration strategy, with the mission to create, adapt and distribute brilliant content across the key social media channels. The primary activities of 4Studio is to curate (existing) and create (new) short-form content and distribute it through actively managed social media channels. 4Studio will work very closely with key people and departments within C4, including commissioning, marketing and commercial. 4Studio is based in C4’s new National HQ in Leeds and is a key component of C4’s regional strategy, creating creative job opportunities outside London and expanding the diversity of the company’s creative contribution.

SharpFutures is a social enterprise that supports diverse talent into employment in the creative digital sector. By offering a range of Training Courses, Apprenticeships and Placements, SharpFutures supports people by developing their creative digital skills to broaden their employment opportunities. We seed ideas through services for education, we nurture the best talent we find through employment opportunities and real work experience, and we grow through the sale of our business products and services such as SharpFutures POD.

McCann Leeds is part of McCann Worldgroup. McCann helps brands build the most meaningful brand platforms that drive exponential growth and leave a lasting impact on culture. Founded over 100 years ago with their own platform, “Truth Well Told”, McCann is the world’s leading advertising agency network, creating some of the most creatively and commercially impactful advertising globally. McCann is the founding agency of McCann Worldgroup a creatively driven global marketing company, part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG).

Born Ugly is a brand design agency and a creative partnership. We are a team of strategists, designers and digital activators. We are the founding studio of the world’s most effective brand design consultancy, Elmwood, before our demerger as a standalone agency in 2020. You could say ‘born again in the ugliest of years’! We are an agency with a strong track record that spans 4 decades and 6 continents but has a new direction. A direction with strong foundations and values, and extraordinary commercial and cultural impact always as its cornerstone

Social is an award winning integrated communications agency that tells stories, engages people and improves lives. From offices in Leeds, Manchester, Bristol, London and Liverpool, we provide a full range of communications, digital, creative and public affairs services. We aim to be a force for good, both in what we do and how we go about it. We are committed to doing the right thing by our clients, our colleagues, our suppliers, our society and our planet. (www.social.co.uk https://twitter.com/LifeAtSOCIAL)

Dubit the largest developer of metaverse games, experiences, and events for brands. Our team of over 100 in-house developers provide brands and agencies with the tools, research data, and production services to launch compelling experiences in the metaverse. Dubit’s customers include Meta (Facebook), Google, Disney, and Warner Media Group.

CreativeRace is an award-winning integrated agency based in Leeds. We find the sweet spot where brand and performance meet, producing meaningful work that creates results and impact for our clients. Our 40 plus years of experience and unrivalled full-service capability, means we can provide integrated solutions that deliver predictable outcomes time after time. (www.creativerace.co.uk https://www.linkedin.com/company/creativeraceuk)