Last week, in collaboration with IntoUniversity, Nelson Bostock Unlimited (NBU) and Fever welcomed 13 students aged 16 -18 to our office to talk about PR careers. IntoUniversity is a charity which supports students from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds in achieving their educational ambitions. For most of these students, they will be the first in their families to attend university.
We aimed to open their minds to new possibilities when looking into future careers. We also want to encourage diversity and inclusion in the PR industry. While many of the students honestly expressed that they had no idea what PR was, they soon found that they understood the skills required. During this thought-provoking debate session, they quickly showed their intuitive knowledge of what makes a good news story. But also identified what may cause a problem for a brand’s reputation.
Sam Roberts, EMEA Communications lead for the music brand, Fender, a Fever client, joined us too. He talked us through his journey into the Music and Entertainment industry. He provided a great example of how a passion can help you find a career working with what you love.
The second half of the day allowed the students to think creatively about their potential campaigns. They could consider what they would do if they worked at a PR agency. With support from both NBU and Fever staff, we grouped the students into teams to compete against one another and demonstrate what they had learnt throughout the day. It brought some competitive streaks. We were completely blown away by the ideas and strategies they came up with.
Working with these young people reminded us of the importance of diversity and inclusion in making successful agencies.
We want to give a special thanks to everyone who helped make the day possible at NBU/Fever. It was thrilling to run this successful and exciting workshop. Hopefully, it will inspire a new generation of talented PR professionals. This is just one of the many initiatives we are undertaking as part of the Unlimited Group’s commitment to a more diverse workplace.
Brenda, Jahanara & Emine