How Bristol Creative Industries is supporting students to pursue creative sector careers and connecting them with employers
Tom Bowden-Green, Bristol Creative Industries board director and a senior lecturer in marketing within Bristol Business School at UWE Bristol, shares an update on how we are supporting students to pursue creative sector careers and connecting them to employers looking for talent.
“Ask me what my three priorities are as a board director at Bristol Creative Industries and I tell you education, education, education…” OK, I may have borrowed that from a former prime minister 30 years ago (yes 30 years!), but developing ‘talent’ is one of the reasons BCI exists, and a key pillar in our overall strategy.
We are really lucky in this region to have four great universities, and many wider colleges and schools, supporting the creative sector. Whether you want to employ students and/or graduates, or learn from academics engaged in relevant research, there are plenty of opportunities for greater links between members and educators. So, what does this mean in practice?
Number one, we have a database of members who want to support students and educators in the region. This might involve offering mentoring or work experience during holidays, for example, or perhaps providing longer term placements or part time employment.
There are also opportunities to provide more structured support such as talks and guest lectures within established programmes. UWE, for example, has a scheme called Course Connect, linking businesses to specific and relevant modules.
If you’re a BCI member and you’d like to support these efforts, email Alli Nicholas at [email protected]
We’re also growing our BCI student membership. It remains free, and we are going to be increasing the specific activity for these members. As well as providing tickets to some of our events, we intend to increase regular communication through a dedicated student newsletter. If you have an opportunity to share with students of any level, we’d be happy to communicate this through the newsletter.
In the longer term, we are also planning a dedicated student conference in early 2027. We’d love volunteers to speak to students about working in the creative industries, plus there are likely to be sponsorship opportunities. Do let us know if either appeals to you. Email Alli Nicholas at [email protected]
So, what kind of students do we envisage working with as we expand student activities? Well, we already have hundreds of student members, many of whom attend university courses in the region. For example, many of you are involved in some aspect of marketing, and there are thousands of marketing students in the region.
However, there are also many students studying broader creative topics relating to TV and film or digital technology for example. Whatever your expertise or niche, there is bound to be a course and a cohort of students who could benefit from your expertise. Many will also be seeking employment in the years to come.
Of course, university education is not the only route into the creative industries. Student membership is therefore open to students at all levels, including those in post-16 education, and those studying courses later in life. Opportunities to engage therefore include post-16 courses, such as apprenticeships, T-levels, and a range of relevant A-level, as well as postgraduate degrees and professional qualifications.
Beyond working with students directly though, there are many wider benefits of engaging with educators and academics. BCI signed a memorandum of understanding with UWE last year, with an intention to benefit from broader collaboration such as research and knowledge exchange.
BCI has recently supported various Skills Bootcamps for example, including the ‘Broadcast to Branded’ Skills Bootcamp relating to TV and Film production, as well as skills bootcamps in digital marketing and the creative industries.
Whether you’re seeking to attend a bootcamp, or share expertise with learners, there will be many opportunities in the coming months, and probably wider training courses beyond bootcamps. There are also opportunities for research collaboration, including funded Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. If you have a problem requiring an academic mind, just let us know.
On 25 February, we will be hosting our first BCI event at Bristol Business School. This will be a chance to network with academics and others from the creative industries, but also a great opportunity to hear about specific research relating to marketing and psychology. Come along, meet those teaching and researching in this area, ask questions and let us know how we can help you.
The opportunities are broad and varied. I feel a new dawn is breaking, is it not?
Top image credit: © Tom Sparey, All Rights Reserved.
Bristol Creative Industries is the membership network that supports the region's creative sector to learn, grow and connect, driven by the common belief that we can achieve more collectively than alone.
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