Charity launches BAME programme for comms in Scotland

The Taylor Bennett Foundation (TBF), is setting up its first graduate training programme in Scotland. The charity, which recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, works with agencies and in-house teams to provide intensive training for BAME graduates.

This is the first time the charity has run a training programme outside of London, a significant milestone for the Foundation, which aims to tackle the lack of ethnic diversity throughout the communications industry.

TBF CEO Sarah Stimson said: ‘In what is our tenth anniversary year, it is exciting to extend our reach and offer our first programme in Scotland.’

Sponsored by Standard Life Aberdeen and comms consultancy Charlotte Street Partners, the Scottish programme will provide four graduates training over five weeks. It is being run in partnership with Edinburgh Business School, Heriot Watt University and will be based at the Edinburgh campus.

Executive dean professor Heather McGregor, who founded TBF, said: ‘Developing talent is at the centre of what we do at Edinburgh Business School and it is a natural fit for us to give the TBF programme a home in Edinburgh.’

The programme is also supported by the PRCA in Scotland and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Scotland.

Applications are now open and are calling for BAME graduates from any discipline. The training will cover all aspects of communications and employability coaching, as well as training from the course sponsors. Field trips to PR departments in agencies and corporate in-house teams form a key part of the experience.

Andrew Wilson, one of the founding partners of Charlotte Street Partners, said: ‘TBF is doing important work promoting diversity in our industry and we are pleased to support them in their work. It is a substantial undertaking for a small firm like ours but we know it will pay back.

‘Our entire team looks forward to welcoming the first wave of graduates, offering them invaluable mentoring and sharing our expertise throughout the programme.’

Trainees receive the UK Real Living Wage throughout the course in order to make the programme as accessible as possible.

If you’re interested in applying for the programme, you can download an application form here. The deadline for applications is 17:00 on Thursday 17 May.