Posted by Rachel Westall on 5 June 2025
Discover! Creative Careers has announced a major expansion of its national government-funded programme to inspire more 11–18-year-olds into crafts and other creative industries. Discover! Creative Careers’ flagship annual event, Discover! Creative Careers Week, has been expanded to a month-long programme of industry encounters this November. The event connects young people with real-world experiences in the creative industries through employer-led events, talks, and workshops designed to inspire future talent into crafts.
This expansion follows on from the initiative receiving increased investment from the Department for Culture Media and Sport, who recognised its success in improving awareness of creative industry career paths for school students.The initiative is administered by ScreenSkills in partnership with a steering group of nearly 30 leading creative industry organisations, educators, and career specialists. The programme aims to demystify creative sector pathways for young people, such as crafts, and ensure the next generation of creative professionals better reflects the UK's diverse talent pool.
Supporting Discover! Creative Careers Month is Steering Group Member Heritage Crafts, the national charity set up to celebrate, support and safeguard traditional craft skills.
Almost 150 additional industry partners are already registered, from a wide range of creative subsectors from crafts to art and design, advertising to computer games. The programme will collaborate with Speakers for Schools on a series of virtual events throughout the month.
Almost 150 additional industry partners are already registered, from a wide range of creative subsectors from crafts to art and design, advertising to computer games. The programme will collaborate with Speakers for Schools on a series of virtual events throughout the month.
As part of the Discover! Creative Careers programme, a work experience pilot will also be run by Mission Accomplished with a focus on in-person placements aimed at Years 10 and 11 building on the Department for Education's ambition for two weeks' worth of work experience for all young people. Work experience placement(s) in years 10-11 should allow students to experience a real working environment and begin to develop work-based skills and behaviours.
To harness the enthusiasm created by the month-long programme and ensure it leads to greater access to the creative industries, ScreenSkills is also working with DWP and DCMS to identify entry-level roles for Jobcentre customers to begin careers in this exciting sector. The Government has identified the creative industries as one of eight "growth driving" sectors it will prioritise in its industrial strategy.
Discover! Creative Careers has also announced a planned expansion into two other UK nations, widening its reach and connecting even more young people with creative opportunities, with further details to be announced shortly.
"Heritage Crafts welcomes the news that Discover Creative Careers Week is expanding to a month-long initiative. This expanded platform will allow us to increase awareness among young individuals, their parents, and the educators who guide them, showcasing the often-untapped potential and immense satisfaction that comes from mastering a traditional craft. At a time when many heritage crafts face a critical skills gap, threatening the very survival of these invaluable traditions, Discover Creative Careers Month provides an impactful way to connect with the next generation of makers."
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:
"With a huge range of exciting and fulfilling careers in our world-leading creative industries now on offer, it is so important that all young people - regardless of background - have the skills, tools and opportunities to pursue this if they wish. The expansion of the Discover! Creative Careers Programme will ensure that thousands of young people across the UK have the opportunity to be inspired as they start to think about life beyond their core education."
The Discover! Creative Careers programme has been designed in collaboration with sector bodies, employers, education and careers professionals and provides a single front door to creative industry information, advice and guidance.
Laura Mansfield, CEO at ScreenSkills, said: "This expansion is a significant step for an already very successful programme and an endorsement of the huge value it has in opening doors for young people from all backgrounds to explore and consider a broad range of careers in the creative industries they might never have heard of. Working collaboratively pan-sector in this way is essential to sustaining growth and resilience and building a more inclusive and dynamic industry."
Over the past two years, the programme's vision of a strong, inclusive and diverse creative industries workforce has moved a little more into view; over 62,000 young people have experienced inspiring encounters as part of Discover! Creative Careers Week.
