In partnership with the Job Centre, Radio 1’s Big Weekend Connects will give young people around the UK the opportunity to learn more about working in creative industries, providing them with the skills, know-how and motivation they need to take those all-important first steps.

From Sunday 16 - Thursday 27 May, Radio 1 will host online sessions introducing young people to experts from 10 creative industries, who will offer their insights into how young people can work to secure their dream jobs. Each of the hour-long interactive webinars will be hosted by Radio 1 DJs including Katie Thistleton, Jack Saunders, Clara Amfo, Arielle Free, Jordan North, Vick Hope, Chris Stark, Danny Howard, Rickie Haywood-Williams and Charlie Hedges. During the sessions, audience members will have the opportunity to hear and ask questions of panellists including Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter KAMILLE, producer Steel Banglez and YouTuber Elz the Witch and brands such as Boohoo, Pretty Little Thing, Ministry of Sound and of course BBC Radio 1. Weekday sessions will be held from 5.30-6.30pm and Sunday sessions will be held from 1.30-2.30pm.

Journalism
Sunday 16 May
Gaming
Monday 17 May
Music Business
Tuesday 18 May
Social Media Marketing
Wednesday 19 May
Radio
Thursday 20 May
Fashion
Sunday 23 May
Podcasts
Monday 24 May
Music Production
Tuesday 25 May
Film and TV
Wednesday 26 May
Events
Thursday 27 May
Tickets are now available via the sign up link on the BBC Radio 1 Homepage

In addition to the careers sessions, a unique personality quiz will be available on the Radio 1 website. Launched this morning on Radio 1 Breakfast in partnership with the Job Centre, young people will be able to discover creative career paths that best suit their skills and interests by taking a short quiz, with a range of resources provided to enable them to learn more. The quiz will also be circulated to around one million young Job Centre users as a means of offering tangible support to young people beyond the boundaries of education

Radio 1’s Life Hacks will also feature 12 brand new Career Toolkit episodes aimed at school and college leavers. Available now on BBC Sounds, hosts Vick Hope and Katie Thistleton will hear from career experts on a range of topics, including tips and tricks for job interviews, how to deal with rejection, managing imposter syndrome and much more.

Vick Hope and Katie Thistleton say: “We know from hearing from Radio 1 listeners on Life Hacks that job pressures can be one of the main worries young people have but Radio 1’s outreach programme is such a brilliant way to explore how they can harness their talents, build skillsets, and inspire creativity and ambition. The personality quiz is amazing and we know the outreach sessions will be invaluable!”

Jack Saunders says: “At Radio 1 we are passionate about helping promote creative careers and opportunities for young people; not just in radio but in film, music, gaming, social media and loads more. These jobs aren't always immediately obvious, but with a bit of guidance we can hopefully help some talented young people live out their dream jobs.”

Aled Haydn Jones, Head of Radio 1, says: “This year Radio 1’s Big Weekend of Live Music is more important than ever: we’re doing what we can to support the live music and creative industries as they begin to recover, as well as offering valuable support to thousands of young people around the UK facing unemployment with our outreach programme. We want to motivate and guide young people who are interested in creative career paths with our invaluable online sessions and resources, and we look forward to topping it all off with a bank holiday weekend packed full of incredible live performances.”