The Improvement Service and the Open University (OU) in Scotland are working together to offer all community council volunteers the opportunity to upskill and reskill using OU courses.
Throughout the pandemic the Improvement Service’s Community Councils (CCs) project supported by Scottish Government has been trying to find ways to support CCs as they adapt to new ways of working and the OU was one of the organisations we reached out to and asked how they could help.
We asked Scotland’s CCs what skills they would find helpful to have or improve on and we are delighted to present these free online courses which the OU have tailored to suit the needs of Scottish CCs.
Many CCs have fully embraced the digital journey during the pandemic and there are courses here to help you continue that journey such as using Microsoft Teams and succeeding in a digital world. In addition to digital skills there are also courses on a range of other topics that community councillors have suggested including finance, fundraising, community and business skills.
These courses are totally free – all community councillors have to do is register for a free account and then you can begin your learning journey with the OU.
The OU has many courses to choose from but if you would like to suggest additional topics for training not covered that would benefit CCs in Scotland please let us know by e-mail: scottishccs@improvementservice.org.uk
So what are you waiting for? Brush up on your skills or learn some brand new ones with the OU, just click on the link below to begin your journey:
The British Psychological Society is today urging the government to reconsider its emphasis on the idea that children and young people need to ‘catch up’ on their education, and that supporting the wellbeing and educational needs of all children should be a priority.
Psychologists are concerned that focusing on lost learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic misses the mark, particularly for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.
With extended school days and potential summer schools being floated as potential solutions to address the perceived educational attainment gap created by the pandemic, educational psychologists from the British Psychological Society’s Division of Educational and Child Psychology are instead advocating for a phased return to regular schooling, combined with a quality-over-quantity approach to key learning.
Where additional school time is a strategy, it should focus on supporting children through socialisation and play.
Psychologists are also highlighting the importance of focusing on what children have learnt and achieved over the past year – thanks to the home-schooling efforts of parents and caregivers and remote-learning provision delivered by teachers and other educational professionals throughout the pandemic.
Dr Dan O’Hare, co-chair of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Educational and Child Psychology said: “It’s absolutely understandable that parents and caregivers are concerned that children have been missing out on many aspects of their formal education over the past year.
“However, the notion that children need to catch up or are ‘behind’ at school due to the pandemic reinforces the idea that children have ‘one shot’ at their education and puts them under even more pressure to perform academically after what has been a challenging and unprecedented time for everyone.
“It’s important to celebrate the progress, learning and development children have made in the last year and ensure that they feel proud of what they’ve achieved so that they can build upon their strengths and continue their key learning moving forward.
”Together, parents, caregivers and teachers have done an amazing job of continuing children’s education outside the school environment, and its vital that this work isn’t diminished.”
The impact of the lockdowns on children’s wellbeing and mental health must be considered as part of the decision-making around the return to school plan.
“Some children will have had positive lockdown experiences, but we also mustn’t lose sight of the fact that the pandemic has had a huge impact on all children’s everyday lives,” continued Dr O’Hare.
“Many children may have seen their families struggling with sudden unemployment, loss of earnings or grieving the death of a loved one. Vulnerable children and families from disadvantaged communities may have spent the lockdowns wondering where their next meal is going to come from, or how they’re going to keep a roof over their heads.
“Whatever a child or young person’s circumstances, we can’t assume that the right thing to support their recovery and wellbeing is for them is to be in lessons for longer each day. The voice of children and young people has been noticeably missing from this debate and it’s essential that they are consulted and their thoughts and feelings considered as part of the decision-making process about the return to school.”
Research from the Education Endowment Foundation looking at the effect of extending the school day and summer schools on educational attainment, has found that these measures have a low impact but moderate associated costs, suggesting that it is not an effective way to address gaps in children’s learning created by the pandemic.
Evidence also indicates that these interventions aren’t effective in meeting the needs of the vulnerable children who need support the most.
Dr O’Hare, said: “What really makes a difference in children’s attainment is high-quality instruction and high-quality feedback, delivered by teachers, who are best placed to assess children and young people’s gaps in knowledge.
“It’s important that children know that education and learning is a lifelong skill, not a sprint and it’s vital for their psychological wellbeing that the rhetoric around ‘catch up’ doesn’t detract from their achievements and progress during lockdowns.
“It’s also essential that this conversation doesn’t detract from the many real issues facing the most disadvantaged children that more urgently need to be addressed by the government, such as food poverty, access to green spaces, use of digital learning equipment and access to high-speed broadband.
“The government mustn’t lose sight of where they can make a high-impact and tangible difference to children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, and subsequently their education.”
This annual event is a great opportunity for children to learn about and celebrate the people who grow so much of our food. This year, the focus is on the climate emergency and how it impacts on producers in the developing world.
Former primary school teacher Laura Steele of education resource experts PlanBee has devised some games to make it lots of fun:
What is fair trade?
This is when companies in developed countries pay a fair price for products that have been made by producers in developing countries. A ‘fair price’ means that the producers are paid enough to be able to afford essentials like food, education and healthcare.
What is the fair trade movement?
Started in 1992, fair trade is a global movement made up of producers, companies, consumers and organisations, whose aim is to support farmers and workers in the developing world by giving them a voice, and helping them to stand up for their rights. Some 1.7 million farmers and workers are in fair trade-certified producer organisations across 73 countries.
How can you tell if a product is fair trade?
If a product is fair trade, you will see this label.
The blue sky symbolises optimism, and the figure’s raised arm represents empowerment. Green is used to symbolise growth.
In the UK, there are over 4,500 fair trade certified products available for sale, from food and drink to homeware and fashion. Among the best-known fair trade-certified brands are: AMT Coffee, Clipper Tea, Arena Flowers, Co-operative wine, and Divine Chocolate. Divine is the is 100% Fairtrade and owned by cocoa farmers.
What is Fairtrade Fortnight?
The first Fairtrade Fortnight was held in Edinburgh in 1997 to increase awareness of fair trade principles and products. It is now celebrated in many countries around the world, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and schools everywhere are encouraged to get involved too.
Why should children learn about fair trade?
It is so important for children to be aware of what is happening in the wider world, and what life is like for people in different countries. Fairtrade Fortnight is a great opportunity to teach children about where some of the food on their plate comes from (not just the supermarket shelf) and the people and processes involved in making that happen.
Learning and talking about the fair trade Movement, and why it is needed, can lead to a better understanding of the wider world around them, and help to develop their empathetic skills.
If you are looking for a child-friendly introduction to the topic of fair trade, check out our Fair Trade Facts for Kids blog.
Fair trade games
Providing fun and engaging activities to help children learn about fair trade will make the important lesson memorable. Here are two easy fair trade games you can play with children.
A tall story!
Explain to children they will be paid in building blocks for completing a task. Set them a simple task – for example, to draw a picture or jump five times.
When the task is completed pay some children lots of blocks and the rest only a few blocks. Now ask the children to build a tower with their blocks and tell them the best tower will be the tallest tower.
Is this fair? Why? How did the activity make them feel?
You could repeat the activity a few times to show how quickly some children are left behind the others. Bring the activity back to fair trade and explain some farmers are not paid fairly for the crops they grow. Is this fair? How might it affect them and their families?
The price of justice
Challenge children to find out the price of fair trade and non-fair trade bananas in different shops. What is the difference in the average price of fair trade bananas compared to others? Encourage children to find out how the farmer benefits when we buy a fair trade banana. Debate if the extra cost to the consumer is worth it.
Did you know?
There are more than 1,000 Fairtrade schools in the UK. If you would like to find out how your school can become one, read our blog: How to Become a Fair Trade School
ClickView has been selected by the National e-Learning Partnership to host West OS online learning content created by schools, local authorities and RICs to support online remote learning.
To complement this learning content, ClickView is offering schools in Scotland free access to its full range of curriculum aligned video learning content, free of charge until March 31, 2021.
All schools in Scotland are encouraged to benefit from the offer
To help teachers engage students in remote learning the National e-Learning Partnership and leading video content provider, ClickView, are offering all schools across Scotland free access to their full range of dynamic, highly visual resources.
Already trusted by many Scottish schools and local authorities including Edinburgh and Inverclyde ClickView was selected to host and stream the National e-Learning Partnership’s West OS pre-recorded content, providing a secure and reliable vehicle to share a growing bank of over 1000 valuable, teacher recorded videos, with schools across Scotland.
In addition to this, the National e-Learning Partnership agreed with ClickView to offer all schools across Scotland the opportunity to have full use of its high-quality curriculum aligned content to supplement and extend the West OS provision. The three-month agreement valued at nearly £500k is currently being offered until the end of March, to support schools through lockdown.
Gayle Gorman, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, said, “Schools and practitioners are working hard to develop and deliver remote learning across the country.
“It’s fantastic that practitioners in Scotland now have free access to ClickView’s educational videos to provide additional support for the work they are doing locally at this time. Complementing the National e-Learning offer, this further strengthens the overall national offer of support for remote learning.”
Michael Wilkinson, managing director of ClickView, said, “As lockdown continues, the majority of teachers are finding it increasingly hard to motivate their students. Today’s students’ preferred format of information consumption is video.Curriculum aligned video-based learning content brings together movement and noise to convey an efficient message and capture their attention.
“ClickView and the National e-Learning Partnership encourage all schools to take up this offer to help them through the current challenges of remote learning. This doesn’t just mean learning can continue outside of physical classrooms, but provides the opportunity to revitalise traditional education practices, putting transformative world-class resources at their fingertips, for meaningful experiences at all levels of learning.”
John Stuart, workstream lead officer at the West Partnership, said, “We are delighted that West OS is hosted on ClickView because it provides the ideal platform for learners and school staff in Scotland to access on demand, high quality educational content as part of the National e-Learning Offer.
ClickView’s current offer of free access to their educational videos until the end of March, complements the continually growing bank of West OS content to provide excellent support for remote learning.”
Pupils at Hermitage Park Primary in Leith are sitting comfortably while learning from home, thanks to Hibernian Community Foundation’s donations of multi-purpose lap desks.
Depute Head Teacher Lisa Black explained: “Hermitage Park Primary is a Hibernian Community Foundation partner school. The foundation is keen to help us remove any barriers to learning our pupils may face.
“When I approached them to share my concern that many of our pupils did not have a desk space for home learning, they were keen to help”.
Lisa was troubled by survey findings from ‘The second wave of the Understanding Society COVID-19 survey’: “I read that over 30% of children lived in homes that did not have enough desk space for them to undertake home learning. This percentage increases to almost 40% for children living in low income households.
“Many of our pupils were working from their bed. Whilst this is not ideal, the lap desks give them a hard surface on which to work. This has benefits for their learning as well as their physical health promoting better posture,” Lisa continued.
“It also tackles the issue of overcrowded homes as pupils can carry their desk to any convenient spot and work at a place which suits them”.
They are already proving a hit with pupils who say their home learning has improved since getting a lap desk:
“My handwriting is better because I have something to lean on” says P6 pupil Brandyn.
“I like the pockets as I can organise myself and that makes me feel less stressed” says Jenna P7.
P7 Abdul’s mum is a fan because he says, “I don’t leave all my work scattered on the floor!”
Lisa concluded: “We appreciate the challenges families face when undertaking home learning.
“This helps us to improve the physical environment for our pupils and we are grateful to Hibernian community foundation for their continued support.”
Edinburgh College is hosting Virtual Open Days this week, allowing people thinking of studying in 2021/22 to find out everything there is to know about starting college.
The virtual events – taking place from 10am until 12pm on Friday 19 February and from 10am until 2pm on Saturday 20 February – will give those in attendance the chance to speak to teaching staff about the courses on offer and discover the best study options available to them.
During both Virtual Open Days, prospective students will have the opportunity to: watch videos on application information including funding and student support; speak to college staff via a dedicated Virtual Open Day contact line (0131 297 8300); attend live question and answer sessions with course teams; and watch video presentations showcasing all Edinburgh College subject areas.
Course areas include: Art and Design, Computing and Digital Skills, Performing Arts, Engineering and Built Environment, Childcare, Health Professions, Business and Legal, and much more.
To attend the live question and answer sessions, attendees must register using an online form on the Edinburgh College website: www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk/virtual-open-days. These sessions will be hosted on Microsoft Teams; however an account is not required to join.
Edinburgh College Principal Audrey Cumberford (above) said: “We’re looking forward to hosting our first ever Virtual Open Days and meeting lots of prospective new students online ahead of the 2021/22 session.
“The past year has been a challenging time for us all, but Edinburgh College stands ready to continue educating and training the workforce of the future.
“Our College is in prime position to support people who may now require to boost their existing skillset in a digital environment, for instance, or to retrain in a new area. Similarly, we’re here to support those embarking on the first steps in their career journey.
“We have more than 700 courses delivered through a mixture of online and on-campus learning, with expert lecturers and support staff across the piece to guide our students on their way achieving their career goals.”
Former primary school teacher Oli Ryan of education resources experts PlanBee says that while adults tend to focus on romantic expressions of love, February 14 is an ideal opportunity to show children how to demonstrate compassionate love and kindness to friends and family:
What is Valentine’s Day?
Valentine’s Day is a saint’s day in the Christian calendar when the martyrdom of a Saint Valentine is celebrated; Saint Valentine was buried on February 14.
Who was St Valentine?
It depends who you ask, and which St Valentine you’re talking about. There are 11 saints named Valentine according to the Roman Catholic Church. Most commentators agree, however, that Valentine’s Day celebrates Saint Valentine of Rome, a priest who ministered to persecuted Christians living in the Roman Empire.
DID YOU KNOW …
Britons are predicted to spend more than £900m on Valentine’s Day in 2021 (statista.com)
Men tend to spend more than women on Valentine’s Day (statista.com)
Unsurprisingly, most lovers intend to celebrate at home this year – getting a takeaway or cooking a meal, and watching a movie together (finder.com)
Many people express their love for one another publicly on social media
Five Valentine’s Day traditions around the world
In Wales, it’s traditional to give your loved one a hand-carved wooden ‘love spoon’!
In Finland and Estonia, 14th February is better known as the ‘Day of Friends’. Rather than expressing romantic love, friends show their affection for one another by exchanging gifts or meeting up to spend time together.
In Japan, women give gifts to men on Valentine’s Day.
Italians and Brazilians celebrate Valentine’s Day in a big way: typically, music festivals and street parties are held
Slovenia has so much love to give that it celebrates twice! March 12 is Saint Gregory’s Day, the Slovenian lover’s day. Children and adults make little lights and float them on lakes and rivers, marking the start of spring.
How was Valentine’s Day celebrated in the UK in the past?
In the UK, it was once more typical to send a card or a love note anonymously, perhaps leaving a clue about yourself for your love interest to work out.
In Scotland, it was popular to play a parlour game where single men would put their name into a hat. An equal number of single women would take turns drawing a name. The man who they picked would then accompany the woman for the rest of the day.
In England, women used to write the names of potential lovers on little pieces of paper, then roll them together inside a ball of clay. They would then drop the clay ball into the water. Whichever name rose to the surface first would be their one true love.
How to teach children about love and kindness on Valentine’s Day
At PlanBee, we think Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to teach children not only about why it’s important to express love for a partner but also how to strengthen friendships – just like the Finnish and Slovenians.
As well as sharing these fascinating facts about the day, you could arrange an activity for your child to do with a friend.
There are some lovely lockdown-friendly activities you could arrange for your children, to help foster their friendships at a time when it’s difficult for them to meet up.
Five great activities for fostering children’s friendships
1. Arrange a treasure hunt with another family
This is a lovely activity which your child will love to plan and personalise for a good friend. Place secret notes, painted pebbles, Christmas decorations or even make ‘nature art‘ along a short walking route. Write out some clues, and post it through your friend’s door. Next week, invite them to do the same for you and your family. Don’t forget to pick everything up afterwards.
2. Pen pals
Children love to share things with their friends, including pictures, poems and stories they’ve written themselves. Suggest the idea to your child. Hopefully, it will inspire them to write something nice to a friend, which you can either post in the mail or hand-deliver to their letterbox.
3. Book swaps
Arrange a book swap for your child and one or more of their friends. They can select one or two of their favourite books to swap for a while. It will give them something to talk about with their friends on Zoom! You could even provide some blank bookmarks on which they can write a little review of the book for their friend to read.
4. Video games
It’s easy to think of playing video games as a solitary activity, but these days it’s more often a social experience. With your child, choose a collaborative—rather than a competitive—game they could play online with a close friend (we like Splatoon and Overcooked – both good examples of child-friendly, cooperative gaming which your children will also enjoy playing with you.) Remember to plug in a headset so they can talk to each other.
5. Parlour games
With classes conducted over Zoom, children are pretty much over video meetings. Giving them a bit of structure will make virtual playdates much more enjoyable. Talk to them about how to play simple parlour games like Charades or Animal, Vegetable, Mineral – or help them set up their own version of ‘Kim’s Game’ to challenge their friends.
With a bit of imagination, there are all sorts of traditional parlour games which can be played over a video call.
Download these resources to help your child develop kindness and friendship here.
The British Dental Association Scotland has welcomed action from the Scottish Government in response to its call to support dental undergraduates who face having to repeat a year owing to COVID disruption.
A bursary of up to £6,750 will now be offered to students at Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow Dental Schools that all moved to defer graduation given the limitations on clinical contact in the last year.
The BDA issued an open letter to Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport Jeane Freeman, and Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills John Swinney on 2 February, calling for necessary action to prevent the next generation of dentists being saddled with unmanageable debt.
Scottish dental students can already expect to graduate with debts of over £34,000. An additional year of study without a bursary would have pushed levels to over £40,000.
The Scottish Government has also confirmed it will continue to support trainers and trainees, based in NHS practices across Scotland. The BDA has renewed its call on the Scottish Government to provide additional funding to dental schools to mitigate the financial losses associated with today’s announcement.
David McColl, Chair of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee said: “This is the leadership we’ve needed from the Scottish Government.
“No one wanted graduations to be deferred, but now the next generation of dentists have real certainty, support, and protection from what would have been eye-watering levels of debt.
“It’s inevitable that COVID will widen oral health inequalities that have long blighted Scotland. We can draw some comfort that Ministers have helped secure the pipeline of new talent we’ll need to meet these challenges.”
Public Health Minister Mairi Gougeon said: “This difficult but necessary decision by Scotland’s Dental Schools will be extremely disappointing news for dental students across the country. This is not their fault and that is why the Scottish Government is doing all we can to support them and ensure they do not suffer financially.
“Due to the potential risk of spreading COVID from aerosol generating procedures, dental training has had to be restricted and many students have not gained the necessary clinical experience this year which has resulted in the difficult decision to defer graduation.
“To ensure dental students who have to repeat a year are supported, we are giving each student an extra year’s bursary to the value to of their normal student loan of up to £6,750.
“Aerosol procedures are common in dentistry placements and unusual in other student placements. Therefore we are assured that despite the wider impact on clinical placements for other controlled entry university subjects, such as medicine, nursing and midwifery, students on those courses will not be required to repeat a year and any extensions to their programmes will be covered by other arrangements.
“The quality and calibre of dental treatment in Scotland is outstanding and it needs to be protected by taking the appropriate measures in education to ensure future dental professionals have reached the General Dental Council’s standard of clinical competence and can enter the workforce with confidence.”
Pupils at nine schools in Scotland have been successful in reaching the semi-final stage of the 2021 CyberFirst Girls Competition, run by part of GCHQ.
Girls in Scotland have demonstrated their digital skills and codebreaking prowess by seeing off competition from thousands of rivals in the UK’s flagship cyber security contest.
Pupils at nine schools in Scotland have been successful in reaching the semi-final stage of the 2021 CyberFirst Girls Competition, run by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – a part of GCHQ.
More than 6,500 girls nationwide entered this year’s qualifying round, with teams from more than 600 schools tackling online cyber security puzzles for a chance to be named local champions and progress to the UK Grand Final.
The highest scoring teams will next take on their rivals in semi-finals in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and English regions. Schools that have already accepted their place in the virtual semi-final include: Hyndland Secondary School in Glasgow and Carluke High School in Carluke.
The NCSC is highlighting the strong nationwide participation in the contest and the success of semi-finalists today on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
The CyberFirst Girls Competition is aimed at girls aged 12 to 13 starting to think about what subjects to take for their initial qualifications and its ambition is to inspire them to consider a career in cyber security – an industry where women are still under-represented.
NCSC Deputy Director for Cyber Growth, Chris Ensor said: “On International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we’re pleased to say that thousands of girls came forward to compete in this year’s CyberFirst Girls Competition and we congratulate the top teams which now go forward into the semi-finals.
“These girls have opened the door to what could one day be an exciting and rewarding career, where more female representation is undoubtedly needed.
“We owe a special thanks to teachers who encouraged pupils to take up this fun opportunity to engage with – and hopefully be inspired by – cyber security.”
Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman said: “It is marvellous to see so many girls showing an interest in cyber security and well done to those who made it to the next round.
“The cyber security industry needs talented people and I hope everyone who took part had fun and felt inspired to consider an exciting career cracking codes, disrupting cyber attacks and protecting our online spaces.”
UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said: “The UK Government is proud to be working with Scottish schools to support girls into cyber security.
“This competition is a great opportunity for girls right across the UK to learn together and develop digital skills for a 21st century workforce.
“Best of luck to the Scottish pupils who have worked incredibly hard to get this far.”
Since launching in 2017, more than 37,000 girls have taken part in the CyberFirst Girls Competition.
This year’s semi-final rounds will take place simultaneously on Friday 19 March in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and five English regions: the North of England, Central England, the South West, the South East and London.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “The CyberFirst Girls Competition is a fantastic opportunity for girls to develop new skills and get a taste of just how rewarding a career in cyber security can be.
“Good luck to all those taking part this year.”
The challenges, covering cryptography, logic and networking, will be set by the NCSC with input from cyber security industry partners. The winners of these events will earn their place at the Grand Final in April, where the UK champions will be crowned.
More information about the competition can be found on the NCSC’s website
The AD-Cademy, a free, 8-week virtual course has officially launched nationwide, kickstarting improved access to the advertising, marketing and digital industries for younger talent, no matter their background.
The course is targeted at 18-25 year-olds across the UK, to prioritise the next generation of creative stars entering the advertising industries in the wake of diminishing opportunities caused by the pandemic.
Developed by the award-winning employment inclusion project, Brixton Finishing School, the AD-Cademy’s aim is to ensure the progression of multicultural and working class talent into the creative and technology industries.
The programme has been designed with national reach and accessibility in mind, to ensure that fresh talent from the 20 most challenged places in the UK and Scotland, including Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow, stop being overlooked by agencies which can have a London-leaning bias when it comes to recruitment.
The programme is packed with industry masterclasses and professional skills workshops. It has been created to upskill participants in key aspects of marketing, creativity, and digital, help build their networks and increase the chance of them securing a role through employability workshops including personal branding, accountability, interview tips, and CV writing.
The course modules have been designed to allow participants to learn from home and fit it in around their schedule, and graduates will have an opportunity to be placed in the industry at an agency. 200 young people are actively learning in the course so far.
The AD-Cademy is supported by big name sponsors including KFC, and will feature presentations and workshops from some of the biggest advertising and media agencies and technology partners, including Adam & Eve DDB, Saatchi & Saatchi, R/GA, GSK, Mail Metro Media, Clear Channel, Kinetic, Wolff Olins, Blis, RAPP, AD YOU LIKE, Anomaly, Amplify, Brand Advance, Oglivy, 21st Century Brand, Oliver, Westmill, M&C Saatchi and 1000 Heads.
Launched in 2018, the Brixton Finishing School is the brainchild of Ally Owen, former exec at Unruly, MailOnline and Yahoo. Ally saw the urgent need to diversify talent in advertising and encourage untapped talent from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds – whether multicultural, neuro-diverse, or female – into the industry through training and work experience.
Ally Owen, Founder of Brixton Finishing School said: “The AD-cademy is a game-changing moment for the rebalancing of the future talent pipeline at scale. Young people in Liverpool, Burnley, Manchester, Glasgow and all across the country will have access to amazing teachings from some of the stars of the creative and media industries.
“The AD-Cademy will be an awesome self-serve learning platform of lectures, as well as showcases and events that will enrich young people’s knowledge of the advertising industry.
AllyOwen concluded: “Covid-19 is having a hugely negative impact on young people’s futures across the country. Internships and work experience opportunities have been put on ice as businesses look to stay afloat, and entry-level roles have all but disappeared.
“Brixton Finishing School’s mission has always been to break down the barriers that prevent young people from working class, multicultural and neurodiverse backgrounds having an equal chance to succeed in their careers. It’s also incredibly important to challenge companies to see the massive value you get from a diverse and inclusive workforce.”
