The scheme will encourage those who feel that they are from communities that are under-represented in the sector to apply to gain insight to opportunities within the world of media, publishing and luxury.
The mentoring scheme aims to reach a broad range of mentees, whether that’s individuals at entry-level or those seeking to progress their careers up to Director level. It will offer special insight into the different areas across the Hearst UK business, including training and guidance from the PR & Comms team, individual mentoring, workshop sessions and potential attendance at events. Commencing in July, the six-month scheme will welcome mentees from all backgrounds, and encourages those from under-represented backgrounds to apply – particularly those who are interested in the media, publishing and luxury industries, but haven’t previously been able to access opportunities in these sectors.
The Hearst UK PR & Comms team – who will gain mentor training through the collaboration with Creative Access – will work with successful applicants to offer a taster of comms within these sectors and to help those who wish to further their careers by building relationships and achieving specific career goals.
Effie Kanyua, Director of PR & Communications, Hearst UK, said: “As a business, Hearst UK has committed to create a world that is fully diverse and inclusive through the content we produce and the work that we do. We recognise that the PR and comms industry is hugely under-represented particularly within publishing and luxury, with not enough diverse representation across these sectors. We are fortunate enough to work with trusted iconic brands such as Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE, Cosmopolitan, Men’s Health and Good Housekeeping which allows us as a team to work across Luxury, Entertainment and Wellness and Homes and Lifestyle. Our team are extremely passionate about the prospect of working with those people who may not be getting the opportunities they deserve, or who think that these sectors aren’t open to them. We set the mentoring scheme as part of our team objectives last year to support Hearst UK’s commitment to Diversity and Belonging, so that we could create something which we hope will open up the industry to a more diverse range of talent.
“We are delighted to partner with Creative Access, who have an incredible track record of supporting talent from under-represented backgrounds,” added Kanyua. “The brilliant team there will also provide our mentors and mentees with the very best training to enable the mentees to truly benefit from the scheme.”
Creative Access has worked with businesses such as Penguin Random House, the BBC and ITV to create mentoring schemes. The organisation is a social enterprise, largely funded by employer partners who are committed to diversity and inclusion. Its profits go back into growing, training and supporting those from disadvantaged communities.
Josie Dobrin, Chief Executive of Creative Access, said: “We are super excited to be working with the Hearst UK PR & Comms team on this fantastic new programme. We’ve been working with Hearst UK since 2013 and this latest initiative demonstrates their ongoing commitment to create a more inclusive workplace. There are many individuals who would love to enter the world of PR and Communications but have no idea where to start, and many more who are already working in the industry but would welcome support to help progress to more senior levels. This opportunity will allow them to get one on one support to help make their dreams a reality – and more importantly help the creative industries in time to better represent our society.”
The scheme is open for entries from now until 25th July, with a final selection of six places made on 2nd August. Click here for more information on how to apply for the Hearst UK PR & Comms mentoring scheme with Creative Access.
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