Opening Doors. Building Futures.

Why am I so excited about Discover Creative Careers?

Because inspiration is just the beginning.

Showing a young person that a creative career is possible can change their future. But if that's where the journey stops, we've only done half the job. The real challenge is making sure that inspiration becomes real opportunity.

That's exactly what Creative Access has spent more than a decade doing.

Since 2012, we've worked to break down barriers to the creative industries, helping people from under-represented backgrounds build thriving careers while supporting employers to create more inclusive workplaces.

We've supported more than 31,800 early-career creatives - 92% of whom say Creative Access has had a significant impact on their career. We've placed over 1,650 people into paid roles and built a thriving community of almost 4,000 alumni. We're proud of our journey so far - but there's so much more to do.

That's why joining Discover Creative Careers feels so important.

Together with our partners, Futures for All and Creative UK, we're creating something bigger than any one organisation could achieve alone: a joined-up journey that helps young people discover the incredible breadth of careers across the creative industries, connect with employers and professionals, and most importantly, take the next step towards a creative career and future.

Helping young people move from inspiration to action

At Creative Access, we often talk about employability.

What we really mean is giving young people the confidence, knowledge and support to turn ambition into action.

The years after leaving school or college can be the hardest to navigate. How do you build a creative CV? What should go into a portfolio? Where do you find opportunities? How do you make industry connections if you don't know anyone working in the sector?

These are questions that talent alone can't answer.

Through Discover Creative Careers, we will be helping young people prepare for those moments with practical workshops, webinars, online resources and guidance designed to help them understand the industry, develop professional skills and feel confident applying for opportunities.

Because discovering a career is one thing. Knowing how to build one is something else entirely.

The opportunity to build a career

One of the things I'm proudest Creative Access is bringing to Discover Creative Careers is our traineeship programme.

Creative Access has been delivering paid traineeships for almost fifteen years because we've seen the difference they make.

A traineeship isn't just a placement. It's a genuine opportunity to start building a career.

Young people spend 3 to 12 months working in paid roles with leading creative employers, gaining real responsibility, real experience and the chance to discover where their strengths and ambitions lie.

Alongside that, every trainee joins our Launch Pad programme, receiving mentoring, networking opportunities, masterclasses and ongoing career support throughout their placement.

That's important because succeeding in the creative industries isn't only about technical ability. It's about confidence, resilience, relationships and learning how to navigate a sector that can often feel difficult to get a foothold in.

Our role is to provide that support while young people build those skills for themselves.

Inclusion can't be an afterthought

Why does inclusion matter so much in the creative industries?

For me, it's simple.

Creative industries shape our culture. They tell our stories, reflect our communities and influence how we see the world.

If the people creating those stories don't reflect the audiences they're trying to reach, everyone loses.

You can't be what you can't see.

That's why inclusion can't be something we think about later. It has to be woven into every opportunity we create, every resource we produce and every pathway we build.

Looking ahead

What will success look like for Discover Creative Careers?

We'll celebrate the young people we reach, the employers who get involved and the opportunities we create. But for me, success will always be measured one story at a time.

It's the young person who attends an inspirational talk at school, joins a virtual insight day, takes part in work experience, secures a Creative Access traineeship and, a few years later, is building a career they never thought was possible. That's what I'm looking forward to.

Because creative careers shouldn't depend on who you know, where you grow up or whether you can afford to take the first step. They should be built on talent, ambition and graft.

That's what Discover Creative Careers is here to do.

Open doors to the UK's creative industries.
Bring industry into education.
And make sure those doors are open for everyone.

By Dr Mel Rodrigues
CEO of Creative Access