Over 700 children from local schools had the chance to take part in a unique online careers programme as part of East Careers Week. 

The initiative aimed at Year 10-13 students, was launched by East Education, a collaboration between London Legacy Development Corporation and the East Bank partners BBC, UCL, UAL's London College of Fashion, V&A and Sadler's Wells. Further sessions were also provided by local partners including Here East, LMA, Staffordshire University and Art Clubbers and more. 

There were over 20 different events over the five days including webinars and smaller interactive workshops for school groups. 

Lyn Garner, Chief Executive, London Legacy Development Corporation, said: 

“We know It's been a very tough year for young people, with the constant changes, home-schooling and cancelled exams. That’s why we are so pleased that the East Bank partners offered these exciting sessions to students living in Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.  It gives young people a chance to learn about different subjects and explore wider career options.” 

Afia Yeboah from the V&A said “It’s been a really great week of events with practical and honest advice for young people to help shape and realise their futures” 

Euphemia Olaiya, a speaker for The Hustle Guide Podcast, said “It was an incredible and definitely unforgettable experience. I learnt so much and I really appreciated all the guest speakers! Being a co-host was me stepping out of my comfort zone and i really enjoyed the experience. I want to say a big thank you to the team that put it all together and for providing this amazing opportunity for so many young people out there.” 

The online sessions included behind-the-scenes virtual tours, getting insider information on how to perfect a portfolio and learning all about the different jobs involved in engineering. There were also courses for students that are keeping their options open with workshops like ‘Speaking about your strengths’ and ‘The Hustle Guide podcast’. A full list of sessions available to students are here.  

One of the sessions on offer was run by the BBC Music Introducing in London team (made up of presenter Jess Iszatt and team assistants Hana Staddon and Katy Hills), who talked about how they create their weekly new music radio show,

how they source the music, decide the playlist, prepare for interviews, as well as the equipment they use. The young people also got to ask  questions, including how they started out and their top tips on getting into the industry.  

Other courses on offer included ‘behind the scenes at Sadler’s Wells’- which offered a behind the scenes virtual tour of Sadler’s Wells Theatre to learn more about all the different jobs that go into a live production. UAL's London College of Fashion course, ‘future careers in fashion’ gave young people a chance to discover more about the diversity of jobs in fashion and the skills the sector will be looking for in the next generation. A panel of experts from different industry sectors, including journalism, design, manufacturing, retail, gaming and fashion sustainability talked through their journey into fashion and how they think the industry will change.  

In the V&A’s session ‘prepare for a creative future,’ the interdisciplinary design collective RESOLVE and material designer Ella Bulley gave an introduction to the world of practical design. During these hands-on workshops, young people gained insight into pathways into the creative industries through lively and interactive discussion. A one-off workshop run by UCL helped young people identify their strengths and to speak about them in an industry-relevant way.  Participants learned how to craft their language for the workplace and to build confidence in presenting to prospective new employers and colleagues outside of school.   

Alan Davey, Controller of BBC Radio 3, said: “We were thrilled to come together with our partners at East Bank to offer young people insider knowledge and tangible insight into working in the creative industries – in our case all the different roles and tasks required to make a music radio programme, like the ones we hope to produce from our new studios there -  but also in the theatre, museums, the fashion world and more.  Each partner showcased their own set of distinct skills and expertise in engaging online careers sessions and together, they are a great example of how together we all aim to connect with local communities in East London and how the East Bank development will bring exciting opportunities to people in the area.”  

Teacher from Chobham Academy who attended V&A session led by RESOLVE Collective – “I thought last week was fantastic and extremely helpful for our students. They really enjoyed the sessions especially the workshop on Wednesday which was fantastic with the Resolve Collective. Really inspirational and informative with lots of information for our students to consider. We are really grateful to be involved and look forward to being part of your education and youth program in the future.”