THE BRITs Apprentice Scheme – back for a third round since launching in 2017 – today announces its latest and expanded intake of apprentices, who have been recruited by a range of independent record labels and music companies located in London and around the UK in Northern Ireland, Yorkshire and Derbyshire.
A total of 13 apprentices (up from ten in 2019/2020) will now commence working with immediate effect.
The 15-month paid placements will see apprentices receive specialist training in either business administration or content creation and will also benefit from further structured support, mentoring and industry networking.
First launched in 2017 for independent and major record labels association the BPI, The BRITs Apprentice Scheme has been created and managed for the BPI by DiVA, the recruitment and training organisation and their partners, All Spring Media, who have a successful track record in delivering apprentices in the entertainment industry.
The scheme is two-thirds funded by music industry The BRIT Trust, with the remaining
investment met by the host companies as a cost-effective opportunity to take on and train new talent they might not otherwise be in a position to employ.
Host companies in this latest round include Dirty Hit – home to The 1975 and Wolf Alice; Score Draw Music – the Belfast-based creative music and sound company; Come Play With Me – which supports people in Yorkshire into sustainable careers within music; live concert and festivals promoter FKP Scorpio; Leeds-based indie record label Dance To The Radio; label group Full Time Hobby; artist marketing agency Blackstar; and Absolute Rights Management – part of Absolute Label Services.
The 13 apprentices, nine of whom are women and four are young people of colour, are: Calum Ian Macgregor, Cara Averill, Chelsea Louza Bewley, Eleanor Palmer, Erin Taylor, Istvan Farkas, Jazzia Dita Mesa, Katie Jackson, Lucy McGinn, Malik Shittu, Mthabisi Dube, Ollie Hedin and Storm Wright.
Additionally, Amazon Music will help meet the investment cost of training the BRITs Apprentices, as part of the £2.5 million Amazon Apprentice Fund.
The company is committed to supporting career opportunities and skills development across England, by using Apprenticeship Levy Transfers.
It is expected the experience will lead to further employment opportunities in the industry – the apprentices who took part in the last round were either offered full-time roles with their host companies or took up jobs with other music companies. The scheme also encouraged host companies to develop their own apprentice openings.
Geoff Taylor, chief executive BPI and BRIT Awards, said: “It’s a privilege to work in the music industry and we want to give more young people who love music the opportunity to turn their passion into their career.
“Thanks to the generosity of The BRIT Trust and BRIT Awards, the BRITs Apprentice Scheme has developed a great track record in boosting diversity and creating opportunities for aspiring industry executives. We are delighted to see the scheme return to support this next wave of talent breaking into the industry.”
Tony Wadsworth CBE, chair of The BRIT Trust, said: “Promoting education and creating positive opportunities for young people of all backgrounds through the transformative power of music is core to the BRIT Trust’s ethos, and the trustees are delighted to continue investing in future talent through the successful BRITs Apprentice Scheme.”
Arit Eminue, director, DiVA, said: “We are excited to work with this next cohort of apprentices and host companies. The scheme has been incredibly successful so far.
“All the apprentices from the last round moved into full-time jobs in the industry, which was a fantastic outcome, especially during a global pandemic. Additionally, off the back of the scheme, former host companies have launched in-house apprenticeship schemes offering more opportunities to new talent. This shows the ripple effect schemes such as the BRITs Apprenticeship Scheme can have for both employer and new talent.”
Olivia Hobbs, founder and director, Blackstar, said: “We are honoured to be a part of this scheme, providing a platform not just for equality but better equity. Unpaid schemes can be a root of imbalance in our industry and we have a lot of work to do to put it right.
“Working with DIVA, BPI and Brits on this scheme is essential to reset the standard.”
Frank Wilkes, of Chesterfield-based host company Kycker, an online platform for artists to use to manage their DIY careers, said: “Kycker is thrilled and privileged to be part of the BRITs Apprentice Scheme as we see apprenticeships as both a great tool for new entrants to the music industry and a great opportunity for new staff to help develop our offer to DIY artists.”
Fred Jude, MD of 2021 host company and independent label Snapper Music, said: “We are pleased and excited to be part of the BRIT Trust funded BRITs Apprentice Scheme. We look forward to adding a new member to the Snapper Music team, offering them great training and career opportunities within the music industry.”
Thorsten Sauer, CEO of 2021 host company ICE Services, said: “At ICE, we are working across all levels on Diversity and Inclusion. We thank the BPI for the recognition, in being selected for the BRITs Apprentice Scheme, that we offer the right environment to develop colleagues. We’re committed to our colleagues and their dedication to our purpose to support creators.”
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