Breakthrough Programme
Breakthrough is a paid 6‑month employability programme, 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.
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About
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!
How it works
Trainees begin the progamme by undertaking some basic training, which is run by our team at Artswork. The majority of this training will be done online via zoom calls. IT equipment will be provided by the organisation you are working with and you will be paid a salary.
Breakthrough 2025 will run from late September 2025 to late March 2026. Trainees are now in post but we will be running Breakthrough again in 2026 – please sign up to our newsletter at the bottom of this page to be notified when applications open.
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
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.
If you are unsure if you are eligible, have any other questions, or need information in a different format, please email our Careers team:
Impact of Breakthrough 2023
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65%
of Breakthrough trainees in 2023 had jobs in the creative sector or went on to study further education three months after Breakthrough ended.
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93%
of the young trainee’s claimed that they expanded their understanding of the creative industries.
The Breakthrough programme has opened my eyes to the other jobs I can do. There are possibilities and opportunities that I hadn't even considered before.
The Breakthrough programme gives opportunities to have your voice as a young person heard in creative spaces.
For employers
Interested in hosting a young person at your workplace? Click below for more detail on becoming a Breakthrough employer.
Breakthrough programme (employers)
Offer a 6‑month work placement in your organisation to provide an entry route for young people looking to find meaningful work in the creative sector.