ScreenSkills and partners celebrate impact of Discover! Creative Careers programme
13 April 2026 by Ed
Following the Discover! Creative Careers programme's relaunch in 2023, the industry-led programme, funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has brought together partners from industry and education to deliver activity that reaches thousands of young people broadening awareness of opportunities across the UK.
ScreenSkills is now wrapping up the programme ahead of the announcement of a new refreshed Creative Careers Service
With 146,000 + engagements this year alone, ScreenSkills is celebrating the impact of the Discover! Creative Careers programme co-designed and led with its steering group of creative industry partners. As ScreenSkills finishes leading the delivery of the programme prior to the announcement of a new refreshed Creative Careers Service, new figures reveal the scale of its reach since its relaunch in 2023.
The industry-led programme, funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, to inform and inspire young people about careers in the creative sector, has brought together partners from industry and education to deliver activity that is reaching young people at scale and broadening awareness of opportunities across the UK.
Over the past 18 months, the Discover! Creative Careers delivery team at ScreenSkills has managed a significant expansion after increased government investment in 25/26. This resulted in record engagement during Discover! Creative Careers Month in November 2025, alongside the introduction of new programme strands and partnerships that extended reach and deepened impact.
This momentum was reflected in the scale of activity during the month, with 81,409 young people receiving encounters with creative workplaces and professionals, engaging more than 1,200 schools and 600 employers, with industry contributing an estimated £1.5 million in-kind through time, campaign support, expertise and resources. Programmes ranged from backstage theatre and live music venue tours, alongside workshops run by Get Into Theatre across Bristol, Bath and Swindon, which reached more than 1,900 young people, to marketplace events, teacher continuing professional development (CPD), insight sessions and work experience opportunities run by Newcastle Gateshead Cultural Venues (NGCV), which reached more than 3,000 young people.
New pilots in Scotland and Wales delivered by Into Film, the UK’s leading charity for film in education, have extended the programme’s national footprint and brought the creative industries to 20,000 more young people. In Wales, a pilot Discover! Creative Careers programme was delivered by the Into Film Cymru team who reached over 9,000 young people across events between September 2025 – March 2026. Activities took place across the country and with all creative industry subsectors. Alongside industry open doors and online experiences, the team also delivered five flagship roadshow events in Conwy, Wrexham, Swansea, Torfaen, and Denbighshire. Whilst in Scotland, a pilot Discover! Creative Careers programme was delivered by the Into Film Scotland team who reached over 11,000 young people between September 2025 – March 2026. Activities took place in schools, workplaces and online and offered a range of opportunities for young people to connect with creative industry practitioners.
Meanwhile, the introduction of new Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has involved partners across England including Sharp Futures, Music Local, Future Yard, Hertfordshire Futures and SPS Training, creating new pathways for young jobseekers in Manchester, the North East, and East of England. An innovative regional micro-grant initiative has enabled delivery of targeted activity by organisations working in priority areas across England, strengthening local engagement and access.
Additionally, 430 14–16-year-olds completed work experience placements through the Next Generation Creatives work experience pilot programme delivered by Mission Accomplished, 81% of whom had additional needs. This was designed to provide young people with meaningful flexible access to careers within the creative industries, while strengthening connections between education providers and creative businesses
Since 2023, Discover! Creative Careers’ wider programme has reached approximately 210,000 young people, generating 284,000 website views, and 30 million across social media. Employers and industry bodies from across all creative subsectors including film, TV, music, gaming, theatre, fashion, design, craft, exhibitions, advertising and digital content have played a central role, by delivering hands-on experiences including workplace visits and creative briefs, through direct engagement with professionals, helping to demystify the industry and broaden young people’s horizons.
The programme has also placed a strong emphasis on innovation and co-design, with youth voice playing a key role. Young ambassadors have contributed to content creation and event delivery, while focus groups and collaborative projects ensured young people were playing a proactive part in the programme’s evolution.
During the recent National Careers Week in March 2026, Discover! Creative Careers delivered a coordinated programme of digital events designed and led by young people reaching more than 6,000 students across the country. Through 10 live digital workshops, 28 creative industry professionals shared insights into career pathways, while young people took on hosting roles to facilitate peer-led sessions. These sessions were tailored to different age groups and recorded to ensure ongoing access and lasting impact.
Regional delivery has also gone from strength to strength, with micro-grant funded activity reaching more than 24,000 young people through locally tailored initiatives. This has included employer-led sessions, backstage experiences, careers events and hands-on workshops delivered with partners including Brighton Dome Festival, Get into Theatre, North East Ambition, Future Creators, Newcastle Gateshead Cultural Venues and UK Music.
The programme’s partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions has continued to grow, supporting the development of Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes that provide structured routes into employment through training, placements and interview that developed a new pipeline for talent. Alongside this, the programme has continued to deliver webinars for both young people and work coaches, building greater understanding of careers in the creative industries and supporting progression into the sector.