Women’s advocacy group Rise has partnered with University Technical Colleges to launch a mentorship scheme for young women aged 16-18.
Rise, which works with women in the broadcast technology sector, is looking to support a total of 23 young women across England. The Rise Up UTC Mentoring Programme will run from February to November 2021, and aims to provide a range of technical and support-orientated initiatives, including training programmes and industry networking with virtual and face-to-face mentoring.
The scheme is being funded by BT Sport and ITV.
Andy Beale, head of Engineering and Innovation, BT Sport, said: “The drive toward greater diversity and inclusion in our industry is a fundamental objective of BT Sport and is a key pillar of BT Sport United, our bid to use our reach to be advocates for positive social change, in sport and in society. This announcement builds on the successful launch of the BT Sport-backed Rise Up schools programme last year and we are proud to be working with Rise to extend the reach of this programme to inspire and educate girls in key stage 5 about opportunities in the broadcast industry.”
Rob O’Brien, senior technical manager, International and Labels, Technology and Platforms, ITV, added: “ITV is delighted to support the Rise Up UTC Mentoring Programme. The programme supports ITV’s on-going commitment to gender equality and we want ITV to represent all aspects of modern society both on screen and across our workforce. Inclusion is about working together to create an environment where everyone can thrive, where there are no barriers and everyone is valued for being their authentic, true and best self.”
Further details about the Rise Up UTC Mentoring Programme can be found on Rise’s website.
TVBEurope’s MediaTech 360 Summit will include a session with Rise discussing the importance of education, mentoring and promotion in the great world of broadcast technology. More details on the free-to-register event can be found here.