Historically the UK’s regulator for TV and radio, Ofcom’s remit is expanding to take on responsibility for regulating social media and video-sharing platforms in the UK. This means filling a number of new policy, data, online safety and customer services roles based in London, Manchester and Warrington.
Ofcom knows hiring young people makes sense in the digital communications sector. As ‘digital natives’, Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2021) are not only more technologically fluent, they also have a unique understanding of today’s digital trends and etiquette that make them a valuable asset for future-facing brands.
So, they decided to take this opportunity to expand their apprenticeship programme, choosing Visionpath as their partner to help them reach, develop and recruit socially diverse school leavers across their locations to drive forward Ofcom’s work around online safety.
Hiring for social diversity is another smart business decision for an organisation responsible for regulating content for the whole of the UK. Ofcom want to ensure their team – and apprentices – reflect a broad cross-section of society, which is why they put social mobility at the heart of their growth strategy. Aside from the business benefits, they also sought to engage with local communities by offering young people from disadvantaged backgrounds a career path that might not otherwise have been available to them.
Ofcom asked Visionpath to design an end-to-end apprentice programme encompassing initial outreach, insight and assessment, pipeline development, and finally hiring and onboarding. Beginning in March 2022 with two catchment areas of London and Manchester, we worked with a pipeline of diverse school leavers to develop their skills, experience and networks. In September the same year 15 apprentices joined Ofcom, taking up roles in policy, technology and data, online safety, and business support.
Our work doesn’t end there. We’re now supporting Ofcom with onboarding their new apprentices, helping to set them and their line managers up for success in their first 100 days and beyond. We can’t wait to witness new talent thrive in their business!
Could your business benefit from the unique skills and experiences socially diverse young people offer? Whether you’re looking for an end-to-end programme or help with a specific element of apprenticeships, get in touch for a customised solution that lets you move the needle on social mobility while growing your business the smart way.
