Here’s a short summary of what we covered, prepared under Chatham House Rule — we explored much more during the session.
The Discover! Creative Careers programme is back, and this time for a whole month in 2025. This means more time to get involved, more creative career encounters for young people, and more impact.
If you’re an employer in the design sector, please consider spending some time this November showing 11–18-year-olds what a career in design looks like through in-school, workplace or online activities.
Head over to Discover’s website where you can explore their industry toolkit, getting started guide and encouraging case studies on what industry employers have done in previous years. Let’s inspire the future workforce for the sector – register your interest today. You can also attend an online information session on 3 September at 12.30-1.15pm.
“Where would you be if you weren’t working in design? What led you to your career? If you are passionate about design, the richness it brings to your life and the wider world, I’d really encourage you to support ‘Discover! Creative Careers Month’ this November. There are so many ways you can get involved, from opening-up your studio for a day, to a one-hour online or in-school talk. Simply share your enthusiasm for design – what it’s like to work in our fantastic sector – and you could inspire a young person on a path they’d never even considered before. Help us make a difference attracting and diversifying the next generation of design talent.”
Deborah Dawton, CEO, DBA
Discover! Creative Careers (DCC) is an industry-led initiative designed to provide young people from England with encounters and experiences of the Creative Industries through in- school, workplace and online opportunities. For the 2025 programme, Discover is funded to support and engage with schools and young people across 101 priority areas in England, identified as those facing the greatest disadvantage, but the online programme is open to all.
The DCC programme culminates in an annual flagship event that has this year been extended to a whole month, giving industry and schools greater opportunities to forge connections and offer more 11–18-year-olds vital encounters with creative industry careers. This is part of the wider expansion across the programme which aims to reach 100,000 young people. Discover! Creative Careers Month takes place in November 2025 and will remain free for schools and young people to access, with registration for both schools and industry employers open now.
Funded by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, Discover! is part of Government’s pledge to build a highly-skilled, productive and inclusive workforce for the future, outlined in the Creative Industries Sector Plan.
Last year, DBA member BAGGI hosted a fun and interactive brand workshop for A-level students at Strode’s College in Surrey. “We wanted to put something back locally and inspire young people to consider a career in design,” says the brand consultancy’s founder Mark Baxter. Here’s how BAGGI helped young people Discover Creative Careers.
Inspire the future design industry workforce by getting involved in Discover! Creative Careers Month 2025 throughout November, an opportunity for young people to gain insight into real job roles and pathways from employers through online and in-person events. Access the industry toolkit and register your interest to receive news >