New BRITs Apprentice Scheme invites applications from young talent keen to work at a music company
TALENTED youngsters will get the chance to kick start their careers in the recorded music industry thanks to a new apprenticeship scheme created by the BPI and funded by money raised by the BRIT Awards.
The BRITs Apprentice Scheme will give ten young people from England and Wales an unique, high-quality, paid opportunity to work at a top independent record label or music company, learn about the recorded music industry, receive practical ‘hands on’ experience, develop relevant skills and make key contacts.
The scheme was devised by UK record labels association the BPI, which owns and runs The BRIT Awards and which also developed its charitable arm, The BRIT Trust.
Apprenticeships are an important way to help bring in new and diverse talent into the industry and are in line with the Government’s commitment to education, skills and training.
The scheme will be open to individuals aged 18 and over. Successful applicants will be matched with independent record labels and music companies who are members of the BPI. They will receive specialist training in either business administration or digital marketing.
The BRITs Apprentice Scheme will start in January 2018 and last 14 months up to the end of February 2019, and it is hoped will then lead to further employment opportunities in the industry. The successful candidates will also have an opportunity to experience working at The BRIT Awards.
The deadline for applications is 17th November 2017, and the BPI/BRIT Trust organisers are calling on interested applicants to apply as soon as possible.
Full details are available on The BRIT Trust website, here.
There will be six places for candidates in London and four outside, covering Wales, Birmingham, Norwich and Leicester. In London, the salary will be £18k and outside it will be £15k to reflect lower living costs. The BRIT Trust will fund two thirds of each salary – leaving the participating companies to cover the remaining third (approx. £5k or £6k).
Ten music companies drawn from across the vibrant independent community – ranging from record labels and digital distributors to vinyl and CD manufacturers and streaming app services – have signed up to take on an apprentice.
The Scheme will be overseen by the BPI, while its day-to-day operation will be provided by DiVA – the recruitment and training organisation specialising in business, creative and digital apprenticeships, whose experienced experts have a successful track record in delivering apprentices in the creative industries.
Geoff Taylor, chief executive BPI and BRIT Awards, said: “Everyone connects the BRIT Awards with the best of British music and with dynamic young talent, so it’s right that, through its charitable arm, The BRIT Trust, the BRITs brand should demonstrate the value of music by giving music fans with exciting potential a major opportunity to get into the industry they love.
“These apprenticeships are like golden tickets and will open up a range of opportunities for ten talented individuals who are passionate about working at a record label or in a music company.”
The scheme will be funded via The BRIT Trust, which distributes money raised by The BRIT Awards and other industry events to promote education and wellbeing through music. The BRIT Trust has to date awarded millions of Pounds to range of charities and good causes, principally The BRIT School, which it helped to set up, East London Arts and Music (ELAM), Nordoff Robbins music therapy, War Child, Key4Life, and other to organisations, including the addictions and mental health charity, Music Support.
John Craig OBE, chair of The BRIT Trust, said: “It is a key part of The BRIT Trust’s mission to help young people through music and we have already done a huge amount of work through The BRIT School, Nordoff Robbins and other charities that promote education and wellbeing through music. We’re delighted to be able to support The BRITs Apprentice Scheme to give talented young people the opportunity and practical training that could help change their lives.”
Arit Eminue, director DiVA, said: “DiVA is delighted to collaborate with the BRIT Trust and BPI in the delivery of the BRITs Apprentice Scheme, which opens the gates of the music industry to the next generation of music talent.
“DiVA is a bridge between the creative industry and talent. We have a wealth of experience of apprenticeship development and delivery that supports workforce diversity, talent retention and skills development. We’re excited to meet and look forward to supporting the golden tickets holders in the development of their careers.”
ENDS
Enquiries:
For the BPI and BRIT Trust
Ayesha Hazarika ayesha.hazarika@bpi.co.uk 0207 803 1300 / 07970 780 717
Gennaro Castaldo gennaro.castaldo@bpi.co.uk 0207 803 1326 / 07801 194 139
For DiVA
Arit Eminue arit@divaapprenticeships.com 0843 289 9204
Notes to editors:
1. A&G Songs www.agsongspublishing.com
A&G Songs Ltd, established over ten year ago, is based at Tileyard studios and is a multi-faceted modern, forward-thinking music company. Its organisation includes award-wining sync agency, A&GSync, its publishing and records arms, A&G Songs and A&G Records, and its new 2017 venture A&G Brands.
2. Believe Distribution Services | www.believemusic.com
Believe offers smart distribution and marketing services for artists and labels worldwide. The company has over 400 employees globally with 32 offices around the world.
3. Horus Music | www.horusmusic.global
Horus Music is a global music distribution and label services company. Established in 2006, we’re a hardworking team that offers every artist a simple and affordable solution for getting their music in front of wider audiences. We keep things simple and provide as many opportunities as possible so that our artists can earn an income from their music.
4. INgrooves Music Group | www.ingrooves.com
INgrooves offers a full suite of distribution, marketing and technology services to help independent labels and content owners manage their music, with delivery to more than 600 destinations in over 200 territories worldwide. Access best-in-class, tailored label services. The group also provides artist and label services and a rights management service.
5. Key Production Group | www.keyproduction.co.uk
For over quarter of a century, customers have chosen key production for vinyl pressing, CD replication, DVD manufacturing and special packaging. Our exceptional knowledge, experience and project management skills combine to achieve unrivalled results. Consistently successful projects inspire lasting professional relationships with major labels and independent artists alike.
6. Kudos Records | www.kudosrecords.co.uk
Kudos Records provides digital and physical distribution services to some of the UK’s most cutting-edge independent record labels.
7. [PIAS] | www.pias.com
[PIAS] champions and supports the best independent music in the world across our unrivalled international network. Established in 1982, we operate 16 global offices – all leveraging local relationships to influence local gatekeepers.
8. Punch Records | http://punch-records.co.uk/
PUNCH is a national music development company that was founded in the heart of Birmingham. Since 2002 our mission has been to transform lives through music. How do we do this? PUNCH commissions talented artists, produces fresh new work and engages with emerging audiences and artists.
9. SupaPass | https://supapass.com/
SupaPass is the streaming app that offers any artist or label their own dedicated subscription streaming service, and lets them earn up to 100 per cent net revenue from the fans’ subscriptions.
10. Wyastone / Nimbus Records | www.wyastone.co.uk
Wyastone is the home of NIMBUS RECORDS, and also the manufacturing and global distribution partner for ten other labels presenting classical, world, jazz and popular music. You can search each label individually, listen to mp3 samples and shop for all of them on this site.
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About The BRIT Trust | www.brittrust.co.uk
Established in 1989 and entirely funded by the recorded music industry – principally through The BRIT Awards, The Trust’s mission is to give young people of all backgrounds a chance to express their musical creativity regardless of race, class, gender or ability.
The Trust exists to promote education and wellbeing through music and to date has donated nearly £20 million to a range of progressive causes and charities, including The BRIT School, East London Arts and Music (ELAM) and Nordoff Robbins music therapy. It also supports the work of addictions and mental health charity Music Support and Key4Life, which seeks to direct young men who are in prison or at risk of going there away from a life of crime by drawing on their passion for music.
About The BRIT Awards | http://www.brits.co.uk
The BRIT Awards with Mastercard is the biggest and most prestigious night in the UK music calendar. Next year’s awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday 21st February 2018. The 38th BRIT Awards will be broadcast live on ITV and take place for the eighth time at The O2, London.
The 2017 event, which featured performances from artists including Little Mix, Katy Perry and Robbie Williams as well as a surprise appearance of Stormzy with Ed Sheeran, reached a wider audience than ever before by expanding its digital partnerships to make the biggest night in music even more interactive.
With its longest-standing UK broadcaster, ITV’s audience across the main show and its launch programme achieved 8.5million in total. There were over 27 million views of BRITs performances on VEVO and YouTube within just one week alone.
The 2017 BRITs raised £567k for the War Child charity from all of the activity around the Awards, including BRITs Week which hosted a series of incredible live shows in the week leading up to the main event through a partnership between the BPI and AEG Presents. Craig David, The 1975, Lianne La Havas and Basement Jaxx played across London helping to raise money for the cause.
About the BPI (British Phonographic Industry) | www.bpi.co.uk
The BPI is a record labels’ association that promotes British music and champions the UK’s recorded music industry – the world’s third largest and the biggest exporter of recorded music after the US. The BPI helps safeguard the rights of its members and of all the artists, performers and record label members of collecting body PPL – who collectively create around 99 per cent of all legitimate sales and streams of music in the UK. The BPI’s membership consists of over 400 independent labels and the UK’s three ‘major’ companies, which together account for up to 85 per cent of legitimate domestic music consumption.
In 2016, UK artists were responsible for one in eight artist albums sold worldwide, helping British music exports to grow by 11 per cent to £365 million – their highest levels this century. The BPI helps to promote British music overseas through numerous trade missions as well as through the Music Exports Growth Scheme, which has awarded over £2 million in government funding to more than 150 mainly independently-signed artists since its launch in January 2014. The BPI provides valuable insights, training and networking with its free masterclasses and presentations and through its Innovation Hub, Insight Sessions and authoritative yearbook and reports.
The BPI certifies the iconic Platinum, Gold and Silver Awards Programme, co-owns the Official Charts, owns and organises The BRIT Awards with Mastercard – which, through the BPI’s charitable arm, The BRIT Trust, has raised around £20m for music education and wellbeing charities, including the BRIT School and Nordoff-Robbins music therapy. The BPI is also home to the Hyundai Mercury Prize.
About DiVA | www.divaapprenticeships.com
DiVA is a recruitment and training organisation specialising in business, creative and digital apprenticeships. They have supported 500 individuals into work in some of the UK’s leading brands and SMEs including Universal Music Group, BBC Worldwide, Warner Music, All3 Media, Endemol Shine, Hat Trick Productions, Energy Live News, PPL, PRS, UK Music, the Southbank Centre and more. Their service to employers includes the development of an apprenticeship programme that supports existing staff and or new recruits, training and mentoring for the apprentice, free recruitment, and account management.
DiVA was the first London based independent apprenticeship training provider to be awarded the Creative Skillset ‘tick’ in recognition of the outstanding support they offer to apprentices and employers. They are MATRIX-accredited and feature on the governments Register of Approved Apprenticeship Training Providers and their Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network. With around two in three employees who are from the BAME community, diversity is at the heart of the business and DiVA is fully committed to supporting its clients improve their own workforce representation.
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