Breakthrough Programme
The Breakthrough programme is a paid 6‑month training and work placement scheme, which is run in the south-east of England. Breakthrough exists to provide entry routes into the creative industry for 16 – 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:
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About
The Breakthrough programme is a paid 6‑month (26 week) training and work-based learning programme run by Artswork, where organisations like yours take on a young trainee. The training is delivered by our team prior to them joining your workplace.
Breakthrough provides your organisation with a young person who is eager to learn and has a fresh perspective on some of your biggest challenges. You can offer a young person starting out their career with a unique opportunity that supports their confidence and professionalism in the workplace and help them to break through into a meaningful career.
Breakthrough will run from late September 2025 to late March 2026. We will soon be taking applications from organisations interested in hosting a Breakthrough candidate.
Much of the young person’s wage, employer NI contributions, and auto-enrolment pension contributions are covered by Artswork's funding from Arts Council England.
Employers are asked to contribute the following costs:
- £1500 towards training expenses
- 10% - 30% contribution to the wages, NI & pension costs
Full details will be provided to all organisations expressing interest in hosting a Breakthrough candidate.
Employers:
Breakthrough is for Arts and Creative organisations committed to encouraging diversity and inclusion in the workplace. By participating in the Breakthrough, you can tap into a pool of diverse young talent and contribute to the creative industry’s development. We believe that embracing diverse young voices leads to enhanced creativity and innovation which will encourage positive change within creative sectors. Throughout the programme, you will receive support and resources to ensure rewarding and enriching experience for both your organisation and the young people involved.
Young People:
The aim of this programme is to give young people aged 16 –25 the opportunity to gain experience in the creative sector. We want to give priority to young people who have found securing a meaningful job in the arts a challenge.
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.
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.
Results of Breakthrough 2023:
-
95%
of employers saw measurable benefits from Breakthrough.
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100%
of Breakthrough employers would recommend the programme to others.
Host a Breakthrough trainee
Contact us for more information about employing a young person in your workplace through the Breakthrough programme. Email AngelaGoswell@artswork.org.uk