Breaking into a creative career can take more than talent. Access to equipment, people who understand the industry, and opportunities to learn can help, and Apple’s latest partnership with The King’s Trust aims to give young adults some of those advantages.
Apple x The King’s Trust Creative Labs program will connect participants with Apple experts through workshops focused on creative career paths. The first cohort will include up to 20 people ages 18 to 30, with additional sessions and cohorts planned over the next year.
The program began this week with music industry and creative workshops tied to the recent opening of Apple Music Hall at Battersea Power Station in London. Participants will use Apple technology while developing skills intended to help them prepare for work in creative industries.
Apple says the experience will combine technology, learning resources, mentorship, and direct engagement with its experts. That access could be useful for someone trying to understand how a creative interest might translate into employment, although the announcement does not promise jobs or paid placements.
“Together with Apple, we have already opened up valuable opportunities for thousands of young people across the UK through our longstanding partnership,” said Jonathan Townsend, The King’s Trust’s UK chief executive. “We are proud to build on this work with the Creative Labs program, an exciting new chapter in our partnership that will help even more young people develop the confidence and creative digital skills they need to take their next steps toward employment. We cannot wait to see how they use these experiences to realize their potential and discover where their talents can take them.”
The partnership extends beyond this new program. Since 2019, Apple has supported the charity’s expansion of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics programming through Achieve, which uses Apple coding resources to help young people collaboratively develop apps addressing needs in their communities.
Apple also supports The King’s Trust’s separate 12-week Team program with technology and learning materials. That program helps young adults work toward a Personal Development and Employability qualification, giving the partnership an existing focus on preparation for employment.
AI education is another part of the collaboration. Apple and The King’s Trust are developing resources intended to build AI literacy among educators and young people, alongside guidance for incorporating newer technologies into teaching. The announcement does not specify which AI tools those resources will cover or when they will become available.
The King’s Trust turns 50 this year, having been founded in 1976 by King Charles III when he was the Prince of Wales. According to the announcement, it has helped 1.3 million young people across the UK through support for life skills, employment, education, and starting businesses.
Creative Labs starts on a much smaller scale, and Apple has not provided application instructions or a detailed schedule for future cohorts in this announcement. The useful measure will be what participants gain from the workshops and whether that experience helps them take a concrete next step toward a creative career.
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