In the lead-up to the King's Speech, the Labour Party have spotlighted youth career support and IHAV are ready to continue their support for young people interested in careers in politics and public affairs.
This month the not-for-profit 'I have a voice (IHAV)' wrapped up their flagship mentoring scheme and their annual training and internship scheme. Through these schemes IHAV works with young people from backgrounds under-represented in public affairs, policy research and corporate communications roles, helping them to get work-ready and to navigate finding their first job in the sector. Over 100 public affairs, policy and PR professionals and over a dozen public affairs agencies and in-house teams donated their time and resources to making these schemes a success.
The Training and Internship Scheme involved taking 18 young people to seven organisations over two weeks – this included four agencies, two in-house teams and the recruitment specialists Ellwood Atfield for a session on CVs and LinkedIn. These organisations are now arranging a mixture of paid internships and work experience opportunities for these young people.
For the first time ever, we were able to support young people from outside of London to take part in the scheme:
- 7 of the 18 trainees were from outside of the ‘London-bubble’:
- 10 of the trainees are female;
- 1 non-binary;
- 10 from an ethnic minority;
- 10 from a lower socioeconomic household;
- 7 have a disability and 3 identify as LGBTQ+;
- 100% of them said that the scheme either met or surpassed their expectations.
The mentoring scheme involved pairing over 100 public affairs, policy and PR professionals with young people for 9 months. 1 in 5 of these young people has already managed to secure either an internship or entry-level role in our sector.
Particpant in the scheme Will said “I would definitely encourage people to apply for the scheme. It provides a great introduction to policy and public affairs. I personally did not have much of an awareness of what public affairs really was, and I feel much more confident now leaving the scheme, in my understanding of what public affairs is and the type of work it is possible to get involved in.”
Rose commented “It’s a really valuable opportunity and it was a good mix between learning and meeting employers which helped me properly understand how the field works. It felt like real tangible work and learning and not all just hypothetical.”
Ella Fallows, Head of Public Affairs, UK, Weber Shandwick said “We're very proud to be partnering with 'I Have a Voice' for a third consecutive year, supporting diversity in public affairs and ensuring young people from all backgrounds can pursue careers in this industry. They will have the opportunity to experience firsthand the dynamic field of Public Affairs at a crucial time in the UK. This programme aims to provide them with a glimpse into the diverse range of political careers available to them and Weber Shandwick is a great place to gain such experience."
Louise Allen, CEO, GK Strategy continued “As founding supporters of IHAV our whole team is proud to support the fantastic Mentoring Scheme, working with over 100 young people to network, mentor and share our experience of life and work at Westminster. We look forward to supporting more young people, to inspire the next generation of diverse talent in our sector.”
Rebecca Deegan, Founder, IHAV said "As a sector that informs and influences political and policy decisions it is really important that we come from all walks of life. I feel incredibly proud to be part of a rapidly growing movement within our profession to make sure we are an inclusive sector that attracts and develops diverse talent."