Kurt Geiger has shone the spotlight on the graduating class from its Business by Design Academy (BBD) and also announced an expansion of the programme.
BBD is its fully-funded career incubator for young creatives and from this autumn, it will become fully digitised, “opening access to young people across the UK – not just in London”. The in-person London programme will also increase its intake by 50%, “offering even more opportunities to young people from underrepresented backgrounds”. Applications for next year’s cohort are open now.
The first day of April saw the graduating class lauded at an event at The Brewery, Chiswell Street, with Bianca Saunders, Ella Thomas, Karen Binns, the Flag Twins, Zacharia Noble and many more in attendance.
The ceremony was led by broadcaster Clara Amfo who delivered an empowering keynote celebrating the students’ resilience and creativity.
There were 33 graduates following in the footsteps of the inaugural 2024 cohort – 30% of whom are now employed full-time at Kurt Geiger, with others securing various roles and placements across the creative sector.
The students were presented with a number of different work-based prizes and placements with Jennifer Peters, Mohammed Hussain and Monique Miller awarded full-time paid apprenticeship roles at Kurt Geiger in the Buying, Merchandising and Marketing departments, allowing them to complete studies while working in these newly created positions.
For the first time, a further three students, Bill Opare, Laura Quadri and Ben Sholongo were recognised for their enterprising enthusiasm and given an entrepreneurial grant to financially contribute towards developing their own ventures.
Nylah Rosario James was also awarded a one-year paid internship at Kurt Geiger’s HQ where she’ll gain hands-on experience in design, buying, merchandising, marketing and PR.
Kurt Geiger started the BBD because of the way the creative industry remains out of reach for many young people.
According to new Office for National Statistics data, the number of 16-24-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) rose by 100,000 in the last 12 months reaching an 11-year high.
The creative industry contributes £124 billion to the economy and employs 2.4 million people but only 17% of creative workers come from working-class backgrounds; 86% of creative internships are unpaid, shutting out those who can’t afford to work for free; and 43% of young people aspire to creative careers, but 42% feel it’s financially unviable.
Neil Clifford, CEO of Kurt Geiger, said: “Business by Design isn’t just about opening doors for creative talent – it’s about showing the industry how much it gains by embracing diversity. With the Academy expansion, we’re ensuring that talent from all backgrounds gets the access and support they deserve, while the creative sector thrives with fresh perspectives and innovation.”
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