THE BURBERRY FOUNDATION INSPIRES STUDENTS IN WHITBY AND SCARBOROUGH TO CONSIDER A CAREER IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
The Burberry Foundation is partnering with the Careers and Enterprise Company and Ideas Foundation to inspire and educate hundreds of students in Whitby and Scarborough about careers in the creative industries.
Recent research from the Education and Employers Taskforce shows that young people who have four or more high-quality encounters with employers are 86% less likely to be unemployed or not in work or training once they leave school.
A series of workshops created by the Burberry Foundation and the Ideas Foundation will take place at Caedmon College, Eskdale School, Graham School and George Pindar School. The students will explore developments in material science such as nanotechnology, printable electronics and augmented reality.
They will also learn about the many career opportunities available in the creative industries from fashion design and garment technology to communications, sound engineering and production.
The workshop is inspired by Burberry’s founder, Thomas Burberry, who invented the innovative fabric gabardine in 1879. He went on to clothe pioneers and adventurers such as 20th century polar explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton, and pilot, Betty Kirby-Green, who broke the world record for a return flight from London to Cape Town alongside her husband in 1937.
The students were tasked with designing their own trench coats for female pioneers of the past and present, such as Serena Williams, Malala Yousafzai and Marie Curie, in the lead-up to International Women’s Day on Thursday 8th March.
This partnership between the Burberry Foundation and the Careers and Enterprise Company is also in line with Burberry’s responsibility agenda, of which a principal goal is to support one million people in the communities that sustain the company’s business and the wider luxury industry. Yorkshire is the home of the iconic Burberry trench coat, which is manufactured in Castleford using materials produced at Burberry Mill in Keighley.
Heather MacRae, Managing Director of the Ideas Foundation, said:
“North Yorkshire schools are getting an out of this world opportunity to find out about a range of careers in the creative industries. The exciting brief on pioneering fashion is being set by the Burberry team. Students will learn about textiles, marketing, event planning and design during the hands on one day events.”
Claudia Harris, Chief Executive of the Careers & Enterprise Company, added:
“We are delighted to support this fantastic initiative which sees Burberry working closely together with schools to support young people and help prepare them for the world of work. We know that young people need encounters with employers in order to gain meaningful insights, make informed choices about their futures and develop necessary skills for the future workforce. This is a great example of what can be achieved.”
About The Burberry Foundation: The Burberry Foundation was set up in 2008 by Burberry Group plc as an independent charity (UK registered charity number 1154468) for general charitable purposes and grant-making.
About Burberry Group plc’s Responsibility Agenda: Burberry Group plc’s responsibility agenda “Creating Tomorrow’s Heritage” is a five-year programme focusing on three ambitious goals:
- Support 1 million people in the communities that sustain Burberry’s business and the wider luxury industry
- Ensure 100% of Burberry’s products have at least one element that drives positive change
- Invent new approaches to revaluing waste created in the production of luxury goods, whilst becoming carbon neutral in its own operations.
About the Ideas Foundation: The Ideas Foundation is an education charity that gives young people aged 11 -19 a taste of life in the creative industry. It invites students to work on real projects and pitch their ideas to big brands such as Burberry. It helps schools get creativity back into the classroom through our one day, two and five day programmes supported by creative brands and agencies. It works with brands such as Nike, The Economist, Lloyds, BBC, ITV and Burberry and with leading agencies such as Ogilvy and Mather, Adam&Eve, Bartle Bogle Hegarty.
About The Careers & Enterprise Company: The Careers & Enterprise Company was established in 2015 in order to transform careers support and guidance for young people. To help inspire and prepare young people for the fast-changing world of work, the Company has created a nationwide network of schools, colleges, businesses and careers activity programmes. The government’s new Careers Strategy, launched in December 2017, gives the Company a central role in driving forward careers provision.
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