Nearly 20 trainees celebrate graduating from Channel 4’s Content Creative Scheme

Nineteen trainees from West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester have graduated from Channel 4’s Content Creatives Scheme, after successfully completing eight weeks of bespoke training and sixteen weeks on work placements honing their skills in the creative industry. 

At a graduation event held last night (06.03.25), hosted by 4Skills, trainees showcased their work and spoke about the highlights of their placements, before networking with industry professionals. 

A wide variety of partners took part in the scheme providing valuable work placements for the Content Creatives. 

Six trainees worked at Channel 4’s in-house digital content studio, 4Studio at the broadcaster’s Leeds hub while others work with companies from West Yorkshire and Manchester. They included Social, Bradford 2024, Limehouse, FinnComms, NSMM, Brawl, Jaywing, Campus Industries and Royal Armouries, while Greater Manchester partners included One Day, Social, Red Bricks and Tangerine.

Trainees also benefitted from an additional eight weeks of classroom-based learning at the start of the scheme, led by training provider Sharp Futures, which nurtured their skills in video editing, pitching, campaign strategy, and podcasting.

Beth Loker, who has landed a job as a direct result of her participation in the Content Creatives scheme said: 

“A year ago I never would of thought I’d be getting a permanent role in the creative industry, but here I am [with a job offer following placement] and I’ve truly learnt and grown so much thanks to the Content Creatives Programme and Brawl. It is a Bonus to be part of such an amazing team in my next chapter! Onwards and upwards.”

Jordan Malthouse, producer at Brawl Agency, added:

“Beth has been a great addition to the Brawl team during her placement with us; supporting our production, social media, art direction and strategy teams, and getting involved with a variety of live projects including our latest campaign with one of the UK’s leading train operators.

“Beth has shown so much enthusiasm in getting to understand Brawl as an agency, our clients and our services and getting involved in as much as she can during the placement. We’ve been so impressed by Beth’s work and how she has fit into our team that she has been offered a full-time position at Brawl as our new Junior Content Producer. It’s been great partnering with the Channel 4 and Sharp Futures team on what has been a really successful scheme for us.”

Daniel Gbolagun, who undertook his placement at One Day Agency, also shared his experience:

[i"Channel 4’s Content Creatives scheme and my placement at One Day Agency sharpened my design, content creation, and presenting skills while giving me real industry insight. The biggest lesson for me was that great creative work thrives on feedback. A highlight was convincing Ricardo, (CEO & Founder of One Day Agency) to let me run the agency’s social media—since then, I’ve built engaging behind-the-scenes content that showcases the team’s personality"[/i]

Ricardo Seixas, Founder & CEO of One Day Agency added:

[i"It is crucial for organisations to provide firsthand experiences and opportunities to aspiring professionals—something that everyone at One Day strongly supports. Our engagement with Channel 4’s scheme was outstanding, and we had the privilege of working with an exceptionally talented young man, Daniel. His work ethic and motivation added immense value to our team and served as an inspiration to us all.”[/i]

Over 100 trainees have been part of the Content Creatives scheme since it first launched in 2020, with alumni going on to pursue creative careers with employers such as 4Studio, McCann, and Dentsu.

Kevin Blacoe, Channel 4’s Head of Partnerships & Skills, Nations & Regions said:

[i"It’s been wonderful to hear such glowing feedback from our partners and colleagues in 4Studio about how our trainees have grown their skills and knowledge throughout their placements, as well as hear first-hand from trainees how much they enjoyed the scheme. [/i]

“At Channel 4, we are committed to helping talent from all over the UK and are grateful to all our partners for helping to ensure young people have the opportunity to grow their skills and experience, building the foundation for their future careers"

The Content Creatives scheme is open to anyone aged over the age of 18 currently living in West Yorkshire or Manchester or able to commute, with a particular focus on people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. 

The initiative is just one of many projects being supported by 4Skills, which will invest £10m in training, development and learning opportunities annually from 2025. 

About 4Skills

4Skills is Channel 4’s nationwide training and development strategy which aims to create thousands of opportunities nationwide with a particular focus on people from diverse and disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds who want a career in broadcasting.

It has generated thousands of training, development and learning opportunities for people across the UK, focusing on those from underrepresented groups. 

In 2025, 4Skills will invest £10m in training, development and learning opportunities annually. For more information visit: https://careers.channel4.com/4skills

About Channel 4

Channel 4 exists to create change through entertainment. Publicly owned yet commercially funded, Channel 4 generates significant and sustainable cultural, economic and social impact across the UK – at no cost to the taxpayer.

The broadcaster’s distinctive remit is set by Parliament, and it has a role to represent unheard voices, challenge with purpose and reinvent entertainment. For more than 40 years, it has been a British success story, engaging generation after generation of young people.

With a unique publisher-broadcaster model, Channel 4 commissions its content from the UK independent production sector. Working with hundreds of creative companies every year, Channel 4 makes a major contribution to the local, regional and national economy, creating and supporting thousands of jobs and businesses across the country.

In 2024, Channel 4 launched its Fast Forward strategy to accelerate its transformation into an agile and genuinely digital-first public service streamer by 2030. It is designed to ensure Channel 4 embraces the generational shift in TV viewing, elevates its impact across the UK and stands out in a crowded market.

From its bases in London, Leeds, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow, Channel 4 is fully committed to harnessing the power of its regional structure to increase its impact across the UK. Through its training and development initiative 4Skills is opening up opportunities in broadcasting, with a particular focus on disadvantaged young people and addressing skills gaps across the Nations and Regions. 4Skills invests £5m in training, development and learning opportunities annually and this will double to £10m by 2025.

Channel 4 has the UK’s biggest free streaming service. Through Film4 Productions, Channel 4 also invests in British filmmakers to huge critical acclaim, producing 43 Oscar wins and 97 BAFTA wins in its history.