Schools outreach programme ADventure will be rolled out across state schools nationwide from November to highlight the range of career choices available in the digital, creative and advertising industries.

The programme is spearheaded by Brixton Finishing School (BFS) working with a network of industry partners, including Mail Metro Media, KFC and WPP, plus organisations including Common People and Founders4Schools.

The project’s aim is to reach 100,000 schoolchildren aged between 14 and 18 from under-represented backgrounds in its pilot year. It will see BFS alumni, members of the Common People network, and industry supporters return to their schools to deliver an assembly highlighting the various roles within the industry, from copywriters and creators to digital media executives and programmatic executives, many of which do not require a degree.

Conceived by Brixton Finishing School Non-executive Director and Writer-in-residence Yasmin Arrigo, the project is based on insights given from BFS graduates over the past few years.

“Each year, our students tell us that they wished they’d known about the industry when they were at school,” she said. “We want to kickstart that awareness early, at a point when young people first start to consider their career choices, and to highlight how multi-faceted this dynamic industry is. Whether you’re the class chatterbox always being told to be quiet, or a secret mathlete, whatever you’re into, wherever your passions lie, there’s a job for you.”

From November, supporters of the project, which was named by brand consultancy Wolff Olins, will be invited to return to their school or will be partnered with a school with a diverse demographic and armed with a presentation highlighting the different roles available for young people. Interested students wanting to learn more will be invited to join the ‘ADventurers’ community, which will feature bitesize learning and career development tips.

“Rewiring our future talent pipeline is an urgent (and long term) project, said BFS Founder, Ally Owen. “ADventure is the first step on this new pathway and is designed to support dismantling inequitable legacy routes in. By building out a family of programs designed to deliver access based on merit, Brixton Finishing School aims to rewrite the talent blueprint for the industry so it’s representative of the consumers it serves.”

You can volunteer to join the ADventure project here. Schools interested in getting involved can register here.