Usborne to encourage diversity with work experience scheme

Usborne is launching a new work experience scheme for people from communities under-represented in the publishing industry.

Every August Usborne will offer eight young people the chance to spend a week with Usborne, which will pay for accommodation and travel expenses, as well as the London living wage. Participants will be offered experience in different departments as well as one-to-one mentoring sessions with senior staff.    

The programme, which is called The Usborne Academy, will be offered to people who are over 18 and are school or college leavers, graduates or in work.

Deputy m.d. Nicola Usborne said: “The children’s publishing industry is a creative and dynamic one to work in and we feel lucky to have jobs making and selling amazing books. The Usborne Academy is about sharing that passion and allowing more people, from more diverse backgrounds, an opportunity to find out more. We want young people from all walks of life to be able to discover what children’s publishing is and what roles are available in the industry.”    

Usborne designed the programme with the help of Alex Strick and Beth Cox, who run Inclusive Minds, a campaign group created to encourage inclusivity and diversity in children’s books.

Details on how to apply will be released in due course.