Going out on a high note!
A young musician has explained how her ‘kickstart’ work programme job at the council helped her secure a glamorous TV music production company role in London.
Olivia Clark, 23, of New Marske, near Redcar, has a degree in Music for Film and TV from Huddersfield University but struggled to find work after leaving college.
Eventually, she managed to secure a place on the Council’s Kickstart programme which offers out-of-work 16 to 24-year-olds a total of six months’ employment and also training and support to help them secure a full-time job. The council has taken on dozens of young people through the scheme and a majority have gone on to secure full time work.
Olivia, who has worked in both the Business Support and Health and Wellbeing teams at the authority before getting taken on by the London music company, Moonbug Entertainment, said:
“It sounds mad but the administration work really helped make the difference. They knew I had the music skills. I’ve had two albums released and have a degree in exactly what they’re looking for - but they didn’t know I could help in other ways. It really helped me land the role. I’ll be creating music for children’s television which will then go to producers. I’ve previously had three pieces of music used on television, so I know, if I work hard, I can really do this. It’s a fully-paid six months internship but I’m determined to take this chance and do all I can to earn a permanent role.
“I can’t thank everyone who helped me here at the council enough. It gave me new skills, an income and also helped me win my dream job. I think it really shows the value of giving young people like me a chance to get on.”
Councillor Glyn Nightingale, Cabinet Member for Resources, said:
“Congratulations to Olivia. We’re sorry to be losing you from the borough but wish you the very best for the future. It can be a tough environment for our young people looking for work out there and we have to take advantage of every way we can as a council to give them a chance. Even if it’s not the job a young person is looking for right now it can lead to other things.”
You can hear Olivia’s music for free by logging on to thenerve.io and searching either her name or for her first, six-track indie pop album A New Sense of Love.
Her second album, written in an electric pop style, is due to be published in the coming weeks and will be called A Woman’s World.