Breakthrough Traineeship – Communications & Data Officer, Guildford
About Breakthrough
Breakthrough is a 6‑month employability programme designed as a stepping stone to get you workplace experience and all-important employment skills. This short placement gives you insight into a future career in the Creative Industry, supporting your confidence and professionalism in the workplace, and helping you to break through into a career that matters to you!
Read more about Breakthrough here:
The role
The Communications and Data Officer will support a team of colleagues, with tasks relating to the Arts Council funded ‘Escalate Arts’ Programme, based in Spelthorne. Escalate Arts is a new place-based partnership, including Surrey County Council, Spelthorne Borough Council, Ashford Youth Club and Artswork to develop a new‘Cultural Hub’ in Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey. The two-year project aims to bring together creative organisations, education and creative employers to change how young people design, work in and enjoy culture in Spelthorne.
In this role, you will help to ensure that activities and opportunities delivered across the Escalate Arts Programme are connected and communicated effectively to residents and partner organisations. You will support the team with researching and mapping various topics, which will support the programming teams in developing further programmes.
This role will include assisting with:
- Maintaining and update newsletters which relate to the project
- Researching and communicating opportunities for creative activities in Surrey, and other topics as requested
- Support with collecting feedback from participants to inform the project evaluation
- Supporting with communications and the co-ordination of the Spelthorne teacher’s network
- Assisting with events and activities, including preparing venues and front of house duties
About the employer
Surrey Arts, part of Surrey County Council delivers and facilitates opportunities for people of all ages to participate in high quality arts activities. The service is the lead organisation for the Arts Council funded Surrey Music Hub and Local Cultural Education Partnership (LCEP), Culture Box Surrey. In addition, Surrey Arts creates projects with partners across the county to increase and widen participation and engagement in the arts, including performances, visual arts, drama, and dance with many supported by external funding. Surrey Arts sits within the Cultural Services team at Surrey County Council, which includes Libraries, Heritage and Active Surrey.
Deadline for applications
The deadline is 11:45pm, on 17 August
You will need to download the job description below and read it carefully, and review the eligibility criteria below to ensure you are able to apply.
You then need to fill out the form below to submit your application.
All of the job descriptions include an “Employers advice” section and we strongly recommend that you tailor your answers to ensure they cover that advice given for the specific role you are applying for.
You can apply for more than one role if you wish to, but you will need to submit separate applications using the same process.
We strongly suggest that you research travel options for the role before applying to ensure travel is feasible.
To be eligible to apply for a Breakthrough traineeship, applicants must:
- Be aged 18-25 on the 29th September 2025
- Have the right to work in the UK
- Available to start work on the 29th September 2025 and available for the duration of the placement (until 28th March 2026)
- Have no or little (less than one month) previous experience of working in an arts, creative or voluntary sector organisation
In addition to the above, applicants should also meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Currently not in employment, education or training (NEET)
- Be disabled and/or Neurodivergent
- Have current or prior mental health issues
- Have experienced racism, homophobic or transgender discrimination
- Be a recent school or college leaver (A level or equivalent)
- Are struggling to find work due to lack of employment or training experience
Download the full job description
This contains more information about the role, including advice from the employer.
Breakthrough 2025 Application Form
Please ensure you have read the job description and all other information above before applying.
Contact us
If you are unsure if you are eligible, have any other questions, or need information in a different format, please email our Careers team:
FAQs
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If you have applied for a Breakthrough placement in a previous year and been unsuccessful, then yes you are very welcome to apply again if you meet this years eligibility criteria!
If you have already successfully undertaken a Breakthrough placement before, you won't be eligible to apply again.