BRITs Apprentice Scheme returns to boost young talent in the music industry

The BRITs Apprentice Scheme has returned for a third round and is now recruiting for ten apprentices to take up fifteen-month paid placements with independent record labels and music companies.

The BRITs Apprentice Scheme is open to individuals aged 18 and over. Successful applicants will be matched with participating independent record labels and music companies – who, for the first time, do not have to be BPI members to benefit. BRITs Apprentices will receive specialist training in either business administration or content creation, and will also benefit from further structured support, mentoring and industry networking.

The 10 host companies in this latest round include Dirty Hit – home to The 1975 and Wolf Alice; Score Draw Music – the Belfast-based creative music and sound company; Come Play With Me – which supports people in Yorkshire into sustainable careers within music; live concert and festivals promoter FKP Scorpio; Leeds-based indie record label Dance To The Radio; label group Full Time Hobby; and artist marketing agency Blackstar. Roles on offer across all the host companies include working in marketing, social media and label operations. 

The scheme, first launched in 2017, has been created by labels association the BPI, and is funded through music industry charity The BRIT Trust with monies raised by The BRIT Awards. It is managed for the BPI by DiVA, the recruitment and training organisation and their partners, All Spring Media, who have a successful track record in delivering apprentices in the entertainment industry.

This latest cohort of The BRITs Apprentice Scheme will commence in November 2021 and will last fifteen months, although it is hoped the experience will lead to further employment opportunities in the industry. All the apprentices who took part in the last round of the Scheme have to date either been offered full-time roles with their host companies or have taken up jobs with other music companies. The Scheme has also been encouraging and inspiring companies that have participated to develop their own apprentice openings.

There will be six places for candidates working in London with four in other parts of the UK – in Belfast, Leeds (x2) and in Chesterfield. The BRIT Trust will fund two thirds of each salary – leaving the host companies to cover the remaining third.  London salaries will reflect a London living allowance. 

Additionally, Amazon Music will help meet the investment cost of training the BRITs Apprentices, as part of the £2.5 million Amazon Apprentice Fund. The company is committed to supporting career opportunities and skills development across England, by using Apprenticeship Levy Transfers.

Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive BPI & BRIT Awards, said: ‘It’s a privilege to work in the music industry and we want to give more young people who love music the opportunity to turn their passion into their career. Thanks to the generosity of The BRIT Trust and BRIT Awards, the BRITs Apprentice Scheme has developed a great track record in boosting diversity and creating opportunities for aspiring industry executives. We are delighted that the Scheme is returning in 2021 to support a further wave of talent breaking into the industry.’

Tony Wadsworth CBE, Chair of The BRIT Trust, said: ‘Promoting education and creating positive opportunities for young people of all backgrounds through the transformative power of music is core to the BRIT Trust’s ethos, and the Trustees are delighted to continue investing in future talent through the successful BRITs Apprentice Scheme.’

Arit Eminue, Director DiVA, said: ’We are excited to work with the next cohort of apprentices and host companies. The scheme has been incredibly successful so far. All the apprentices from the last round moved into full-time jobs in the industry, which was a fantastic outcome, especially during a global pandemic. Additionally, off the back of the scheme, former host companies have launched in-house apprenticeship schemes offering more opportunities to new talent. This shows the ripple effect schemes such as the BRITs Apprenticeship Scheme can have for both employer and new talent.’

The deadline for applications is 31 July 2021, and the BPI/BRIT Trust organisers and DiVA are calling on interested applicants to apply as soon as possible.

Full details are available on The BRIT Trust website.