Local schools have 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, has been 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 will also be provided by local partners including Here East, Liverpool Media Academy, Staffordshire University and Art Clubbers and more.

The online sessions include 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 are also courses for students that are keeping their options open with workshops like ‘Speaking about your strengths’ and ‘The Hustle Guide podcast’. There is a full list of sessions available to students here.

It's been a very tough year for young people, with the constant changes, home-schooling and cancelled exams. The East Bank partners are offering these exciting sessions to students living in Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.

One of the sessions on offer is a run by the BBC Music Introducing in London team (made up of presenter Jess Iszatt and team assistants Hana Staddon and Katy Hills), who talk about how they create their weekly new music radio show. Hear how they source the music, how they decide the playlist, how they prepare for interviews, as well as the equipment they use. They’ll be on hand to answer any questions, including how they started out and their top tips on getting into the industry. This session is on Thursday 4th March from 10:00-10:45am.

Other courses on offer include ‘behind the scenes at Sadler’s Wells’- which does just that- offering a behind the scenes virtual tour of Sadler’s Wells Theatre and an opportunity 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’ will give 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 representing different industry sectors, including journalism, design, manufacturing, retail, gaming and fashion sustainability will talk 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 will give an introduction to the world of practical design. During these hands-on workshops, young people will also gain insight into pathways into the creative industries through lively and interactive discussion. A one-off workshop run by UCL will help young people identify their strengths and to speak about them in an industry-relevant way.  Participants will learn 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 are 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 will showcase 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.”

And this is just a taster! Go here for more information and to sign up.