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For employers
Breakthrough Programme
The Breakthrough programme is a paid 6‑month employability and work placement scheme, which is run in the south-east of England. Breakthrough exists to provide entry routes into the creative industry for 18 – 25 year olds who are struggling to find meaningful employment.
Click here if you are a young person interested in taking part in the programme:
Looking to bring fresh ideas and new energy into your workforce, but unsure where to start? Want to employ young people with confidence, but feel you don’t have the time, knowledge or resources to do it well? Keen to support the future of the Creative Industries, but found Apprenticeships and other entry routes too complex or time consuming to manage?
If any of this sounds familiar, Artswork’s Breakthrough programme is designed for you.
This is a 6‑month programme with exceptional wrap around support for both employer and candidate. It allows you to confidently trial working with a young workforce.
About
What is Breakthrough?
A 6‑month employability programme that gives creative and cultural organisations a low risk, high support way to bring young people into their teams. With exceptional wraparound support for both employer and candidate, you can confidently explore how a younger workforce can strengthen your organisation.
The programme provides entry routes into the industry for 18 – 25-year-olds who are struggling to find meaningful employment. Many of these young people are lacking different forms of advantage or privilege. All have great potential; none have yet been given the chance to prove it.
Opportunities for employers to take on a Breakthrough trainee for 2026, starting in September, have now closed, but please get in touch with our careers team if this might interest your organisation next year for a September 2027 start date.
Eligibility
Is my organisation eligible to apply?
Any arts or creative organisation may apply to be part of the cohort. You will need to provide a workplace mentor and have an entry level job post. This can be anything from workshop assistant, marketing support, admin, etc.
We will be prioritising organisations who are based in or work in the south-east. Employers will be measured against the following eligibility factors:
- A meaningful job opportunity, ready to start in September 2027
- Support and guidance available to new employees
- Organisation’s match to Artswork’s and Arts Council’s values and priorities
How it works
How Artswork supports you & the young candidates:
For employers
We provide hands-on support from the very beginning, including:
- Guidance to scope meaningful, realistic job roles tailored to your organisation
- Support in building an inclusive workplace culture where young people can thrive
- Ongoing advice, check-ins and problem solving support throughout the placement
This means you never need to worry about “not knowing what to do” – you’ll have a partner beside you the whole way.
For candidates
Every Breakthrough participant receives:
- Inspiring preemployability training, preparing them with essential skills before they join you
- A dedicated mentor and coach
- 1:1 goal setting sessions, progression planning and tailored feedback
- A connected peer network designed to build confidence, teamwork, wellbeing and motivation
This helps to create motivated, work ready young people who feel supported, engaged and ready to make a difference from day one.
Impact
Organisations repeatedly tell us:
- They feel significantly more confident employing young people after taking part
- Breakthrough provides a powerful route to diversifying their workforce
- They often retain candidates, progressing them into valuable long term roles
- Young employees bring new perspectives, energy and authentic youth voice into their teams
The Breakthrough scheme has been great for our organisation in terms of youth voice and bringing new energy to the team. I cannot imagine our organisation without our Breakthrough employees - they have made themselves indispensable.
Additional information
Download for more detailed information about the programme and tier system.
Want to get in touch to find out more? Please email creativecareers@artswork.org.uk
Breakthrough 2026 Q&A
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After an initial induction day with the employer, on Monday 28 September, the programme continues with a 2-week employability training course delivered by Artswork (mostly done online). The young person then has a chance to settle in with you and their work placement, whilst being invited to monthly top-up training and sharing sessions.
Ongoing individual mentoring and coaching sessions are then available throughout the programme for both the young person and the employer, as and when needed.
As their placement nears the end, Artswork and the employer will offer the young people support with career planning, goal setting, and exit interviews.
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We will encourage applications from neurodivergent and disabled candidates, those with underrepresented characteristics, a lower socioeconomic status, those who suffer with mental health issues, and under-confident young people. We won’t ask for specific qualifications from applicants but rather be looking for young people with talent, creativity and passion for the arts.
Breakthrough takes place in the south-east of England, with employers distributed across the region. Click here to see the areas that Breakthrough covers.
Believe in creativity?
This is an opportunity for you to infuse fresh, new perspectives and an all-important youth voice into your team for a fraction of the price of a junior position. In exchange, you’ll be giving talented young people the initial steps towards a rewarding creative career.
We believe that all young people have great potential; they just need the opportunity to prove it.
After Breakthrough 2024:
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91%
of employers saw measurable benefits from taking part in Breakthrough.
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100%
of Breakthrough employers would recommend the programme to others.
It's a no pressure way to open your doors to young employees and find ways to make your workplace more accessible to the new generation of creatives.
Host a Breakthrough trainee
Contact us for more information about employing a young person in your workplace through the Breakthrough programme. Email CreativeCareers@artswork.org.uk
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