Unicorn Jobs and the Taylor Bennett Foundation diversity programme

Unicorn Jobs are hosts of the award winning Taylor Bennett Foundation internship programme, which encourages talented black and minority ethnic graduates to pursue a career in PR and corporate communications, and provides them with expert training and careers coaching to help them achieve that goal.

Unicorn Jobs hosts these internship programmes at its Unicorn House HQ in Shoreditch, East London. We also host blogs written by the interns documenting their experiences on the programme. You can meet the most recent interns and read their blog by clicking here

Graduates interested in applying for a place on one of these internship programmes will find information on how to apply on the Taylor Bennett Foundation website here.

Introduction

Since 2008, Taylor Bennett has been seeking directly to address the need for greater diversity in the communications & PR industry.

We have done this through the delivery of a 10 week communications and personal development training programme for black and minority ethnic graduates, specifically designed to strengthen their skills and provide them with industry relevant work experience.

We have been fortunate to work closely with universities, agencies, in-house communications teams and media owners, and together we are equipping talented individuals with the necessary skills to launch their communications careers. In November 2010 we were thrilled to be awarded the prestigious Lord Mayor’s Dragon Award for our work tackling social exclusion.

The Taylor Bennett Foundation

The Taylor Bennett Foundation is being established as an independent registered charity to ensure the expansion and continuity of the programme, and to enable its work to have a wider profile.

This programme depends on great partnerships to help deliver its ambitions and we are very grateful to all those who have already contributed extensively with their time and money.

Lord Hastings of Scarisbrick CBE has agreed to be the first Taylor Bennett Foundation patron. He is the Global Head of Citizenship & Diversity at KPMG International, having previously advised the Downing Street Policy Unit on race and urban policy, and worked as a BBC and ITV journalist and presenter. A former commissioner for racial equality, he was awarded a CBE in 2002 and was nominated as a life peer in 2005.

Partners

How you can help:

1. Host an intern visit at your offices
2. Participate as a guest speaker
3. Make a donation
4. Offer work experience

Current partners: Brunswick, Finance Talking, Northern Lights, PRCA, Talk PR, Stephen Lawrence Centre and University of East London.

Organisations that have hosted field trips include: Bank Of England, Bloomberg, BP, CIPR, Edelman, Farrer & Co, Financial Times, Fremantle Media, Glyndebourne, Home Office, ITV News, Lewisham Homes, Lexis PR, London Metals Exchange, The Observer, PR Week, PRCA, Save The Children, The Telegraph and Thomson Reuters.

Testimonials

“It was a real eye-opener for us having the interns spend some time in the ITV newsroom and studios. They were full of sharp questions and their visit helped us think about our own diversity initiatives at ITV News. People were still talking about their visit days afterwards” Dan Faulks, ITV News

“One of the biggest things the programme has given us is confidence. We are no longer just a group of kids from diverse backgrounds that might not make it. The programme opens your eyes – you can look at yourself outside your usual situation. The only barrier to accessibility is in our minds” A former intern

Past participants

Graduates are selected to take part in the programme based on a two-stage application process, including an in-depth application form and full-day assessment centre involving consultants from Taylor Bennett and Unicorn Jobs as well as partner PR companies and trainers who work on the internship itself.

Participants are based at Unicorn House for the ten weeks of their internship. They also have sessions at Taylor Bennett and partner PR companies, and go on regular trips to media and communication organisations. They document their experiences here on the Unicorn Jobs website.

Read blogs by the Autumn 2008 interns here

Read blogs by the Autumn 2009 interns here

Read blogs by the Summer 2010 interns here

Read blogs by the Autumn 2010 interns here

Read blogs by the Spring 2011 interns here

Alumni of the programme have gone on to secure work experience, contracts and permanent positions at: Brunswick, Cantos, Cision, CNN, Edelman, Financial Dynamics, Ketchum, Macbeth Media Relations, Newham Council, Save The Children, Thames London Gateway, The Observer and The Olympic Legacy Company.

Contacts

If you would like to support our programme contact faye@taylorbennettfoundation.org.

If you can offer a speaker or visit to include in a future programme contact sarah@taylorbennettfoundation.org.