For the second year running, our partners, DRD Partnership (DRD), have opened their Summer School programme to eight young people. They were offered an insight into the world of public affairs and strategic communications and given behind the scenes access to public institutions as well as, some training to develop their employability skills.
Aware that there is a lack of diversity in the Public Relations and Strategic Communications sector, DRD opted to run a Summer School as a way to address this. The team felt that giving students a chance to explore the world of public affairs, policy, politics and law at a young age was a great place to start.
At Future First, we know that employer engagement programmes such as these are hugely valuable to young people. We are really pleased to have been able to support DRD with their Summer School which has been rated 10 out of 10 two years in a row by the students taking part. One piece of feedback was: “It was a really fun experience, and it definitely helped me feel more secure in my future career and knowing what route I would want to take.”
We caught up with the DRD team to hear their feedback on this years’ Summer School experience.
“Not many young people know about the careers that are available in the industry unless they have connections already working in that field. The Summer School felt like a good way to further an interest in our work and start them on their journey. It also gave them the opportunity to explore which specialism they prefer. Some students felt that law was where their preference lie while others favoured communication”, says Nathan Ashley, Senior Associate at DRD.
Among the highlights of the programme, the students got to visit City Hall and meet the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. They were also given access to Transport for London’s control centre and the Royal Courts of Justice. Meanwhile, the DRD team hosted CV writing and interviewing workshops to help the young people build their employability skills.
According to Dulcie Brennan, Senior Analyst at DRD, Summer School was a great way to expose young people to the world of work. “They not only gained a deeper understanding of our sector, they also gained a lot of valuable soft skills such as the ability to hold a conversation and interact with others in a professional setting”, she says.
But the young people were not the only ones to benefit from the Summer School programme. Every team member we spoke to reflected on the fact that having the students there gave them a fresh perspective on their own work. Freddie Eltringham, Analyst at DRD, even says: “It was so exciting to meet these passionate young people, it’s given me great confidence in tomorrow’s workforce.”
Asked for their top tips for young people considering a career in public affairs, the DRD team was pretty unanimous. They recommended to:
- Stay on top of the news agenda
- Read widely from a variety of sources
- Practice your writing skills
As for the team’s advice to other employers wanting to improve social mobility in their sector, Iona Cross, Senior Analyst at DRD, summed it up: “Consider how you can raise the profile of your sector by making it more accessible. Review your recruitment processes and practices to ensure you attract a diverse pool of candidates and consider offering these early insights into your business. A good work experience can create a lasting positive impression.”
DRD Partnership is one of our employer partners and can be contacted via their website here: https://www.drdpartnership.com.
If you would like to find out more about becoming a partner and help young people from all backgrounds find their path to success, please go to: https://futurefirst.org.uk/become-a-partner/
