Brixton Finishing School (BFS) announces the launch of a new mentorship programme in partnership with global advertising technology leader, The Trade Desk. The funding includes the new appointment of Andrew South, who joins BFS as Head of Mentorship.
The mentorship programme aims to inspire positive outcomes for underrepresented talent on their journey and retention in the industry by connecting Brixton Finishing School current students and alumni with 350 mentors from the creative, media, advertising and technology industries.
The programme will consist of one-to-one connections between industry professionals and emerging talent, as well as speed mentoring events with a focus on underrepresented communities. Mentors and mentees will receive enhanced training and support from BFS to ensure successful engagements between parties.
The programme launches at a critical time as research from Youth Index 22 shows overall confidence and happiness of young adults across the UK has fallen to the lowest level in reporting history.
Ally Owen, Founder of Brixton Finishing School, said: “Our recent study shows lack of mentorship and role models are key barriers to entry for young people from under-resourced and under-represented backgrounds. So I am delighted The Trade Desk has committed to funding such an important initiative for the industry, helping to supercharge our mentorship capabilities and deliver much needed structure and resources. I am also extremely grateful that Jerome is joining our team to drive this mission – his track record in creating positive pathways for talent speaks volumes.”
Phil Duffield, UK VP at The Trade Desk, added: “We recognise that increased diversity results in improved corporate culture, innovation and overall business success. We are proud of our continued partnership with Brixton Finishing School to help drive change by providing educational and mentorship opportunities to young people from underrepresented backgrounds. We are confident that this new mentorship programme will help young people accelerate their careers and make progress in diversifying the advertising and tech industries.”
If you’re ready to be a part of this transformative initiative and want to support emerging talent in the advertising and tech industries, register your interest to become a mentor in our programme today.
If you’re an aspiring professional from an underrepresented background looking for guidance and support in the advertising and tech industries, sign up today to be paired with a mentor who can help pave your way to success.
About Brixton Finishing School
Brixton Finishing School disrupts the way the Creative, Media & Marketing Industries recruit talent. We are an ‘end to end ‘ solution to the industry’s diversity challenges. Brixton Finishing School provides free, premium learning experiences, delivering creative and digital skills and real-world advertising experiences. We prepare our students for a pool of entry-level roles available just for them or for jobs in the wider industry
About The Trade Desk
The Trade Desk is a technology company that empowers buyers of advertising. Through its self-service, cloud-based platform, ad buyers can create, manage, and optimize digital advertising campaigns across ad formats and devices. Integrations with major data, inventory, and publisher partners ensure maximum reach and decisioning capabilities, and enterprise APIs enable custom development on top of the platform. Headquartered in Ventura, CA, The Trade Desk has offices across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. To learn more, visit thetradedesk.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Notes to editors:
For more information on Brixton Finishing School, please contact Anthony Leeds at Propeller Group on BFS@PropellerGroup.com
#FutureTalentUnwrapped, the third wave of proprietary alumni research from Brixton Finishing School revealed that a lack of role models and network were among the key barriers to entry.
- Two fifths of Brixton Finishing School talent viewed a lack of role models would hamper their industry entry
- Half felt not knowing the right people would hold them back
The transition into an entry level role can be challenging on numerous levels – especially if you are from a community that’s underrepresented in your workforce. One in four of our talents after tenure in industry question whether our ecosystem is the place for them. Mentorship is a key tool in improving these outcomes and improving not only industry entry for all, but retention.
The Future Talent Unwrapped data key findings:
97% of alumni reported mentoring to be of value
74% of BFS and ADcademy program graduates have met with their mentor after they completed their course, demonstrating how valuable these relationships are.
