Synapse Fair Growth cultivates new creative talent
“I’ve received incredible support from the council. It's made a huge difference in my career journey.”
The Royal Borough of Greenwich is delighted to announce the successful completion of the Synapse Fair Growth programme in partnership with Goldsmiths, University of London. The scheme connected local businesses with up-and-coming talent and helped break down barriers to the creative and digital sectors by giving jobseekers, including care leavers, an opportunity to flourish through paid work placements.
Businesses hosted a combination of either 40-hour or 80-hour placements at the London Living Wage and participants had the opportunity to gain valuable work experience to boost their careers.
The council’s skills and employment service, Greenwich Local Labour and Business (GLLaB), brokered eight work placements for residents with local employers: BPTW, The Clockhouse, Coding Black Females, Director’s Cut, Helen Kirkum Studios, Kozy Interior Design, Love Reading and Say NUM. The roles offered included a Digital Intern, Social Media Manager, Theatre Intern, Graphic Designer, Architect/ Urban Design Assistant, Interior Design Assistant and Marketing Assistant.
Three of these placements were given to children in our care, and the other five were offered to people engaged on the Restart scheme, which helps people who are long-term unemployed get back to work.
Councillor Jackie Smith, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, Business, Skills and Greenwich Supports said: “The Synapse Fair Growth scheme has given an incredible opportunity for local people looking to gain work experience and insight into the creative industries.
“Our Greenwich Mission is for everyone to secure a good job – and this shows how we’re working innovatively with the community to provide opportunities for people in our borough. We are very proud of everyone for successfully completing their placements and wish them every success in their future carers.”
Councillor Adel Khaireh, Cabinet Member Children and Young People said: “It was great to see this opportunity taken up by young people in our care. Our Greenwich Mission is for children and young people to reach their full potential. As a council, and with our partners, we are deeply committed to our Corporate Parenting responsibilities, ensuring all young people have the best start in life and those who have been in care feel supported, valued, and empowered to thrive.
“Thank you to Goldsmiths for funding the programme, and to GLLaB for the on-going support they provided to the participants.”
Siân Prime, Academic Lead: Enterprise for Goldsmiths said: “Synapse Fair Growth gave Goldsmiths a chance to share ways for local enterprises to develop sustained growth and provide new employment experiences for people often marginalised from opportunity.
“Working with Royal Borough of Greenwich on this provides a unique experience for all involved in the delivery. We hope to be able to replicate this model of good collaborative practice.”
For more information about how Royal Borough of Greenwich supports people in finding work, including the Restart scheme, please visit royalgreenwich.gov.uk/GLLaB.
Read Blessing's story about her placement with Coding Black Females and Kieran’s story about his placement with The Clockhouse Community Centre.
-
Blessing’s story
Coding Black Females is a nonprofit organisation which creates a community around Black women in the tech industry and advances more Black women into both tech and leadership roles.
We caught up with Blessing who completed a placement with Coding Black Females through the Synapse Fair Growth scheme.
What drew you to Coding Black Females?
I first came across Coding Black Females on LinkedIn. I was exploring tech opportunities and looking for organisations that support women like me. At that time, I was trying to break into tech: I studied chemistry, but I love technology and data, so I was looking for something to transition into easily. I was looking into bootcamps, courses and Coding Black Females was one of the names that popped up on LinkedIn. So, when Restart reached out to me about the placement, it was a full circle moment. I was excited to participate in something that I believed in.
What did it mean when you got the placement?
I was really happy because I've been job hunting for a while. To me, this wasn't just a role. I saw it as a chance to grow, to collaborate, and to contribute to something that was impactful to me and other people. Coding Black Females will help any Black women who want to get into tech. It doesn't matter what point you're at in life. If it's your passion, you can do it.
What experience did you have beforehand?
Even though I studied chemistry, I only worked in that field for about six months. I knew early on that I wanted to transition to tech. I had done some voluntary roles and had boot camp experience in product management. I also had internship experience in user and market research, user experience, communication, and data analysis. These experiences helped me build structure, manage projects and work with people.
What support did you receive from the council?
During and after my placement, I received incredible support from the council. I had the opportunity to work with two amazing coaches who helped me prepare for interviews and build confidence. They also regularly shared job opportunities that aligned with my goals and interests and even helped review my cover letters and personal statements to strengthen my applications. The overall support has been consistent and deeply appreciated; it’s made a huge difference in my career journey.
What skills have you gained with Coding Black Females?
I've been assisting Coding Black Females with their marketing. I didn’t have any marketing experience before, so I’m gaining new expertise. I've learned how to coordinate campaigns and send newsletters to different regions. There are a lot of tools that I’ve learnt how to use like Hootsuite, Drip to send newsletters, posting on social media and designing assets on Canva. It is still a learning journey for me, but I enjoy doing it.
What are your plans for the future?
Product management is a strong interest of mine. I've always had passion for products, and this role has only helped me strengthen the skills that I need. It has also opened my eyes to the world of product marketing, so I can venture into that. My path might lead towards product management, product marketing - or even marketing like I'm doing now. I’m open to exploring new roles in products or marketing, so I really see this as a huge blessing and opportunity for me to grow and become more confident in where I'm heading.
What would you say to other Black women looking to get into a tech industry?
You can start now - no time is too late. You may not know anybody out there, but just keep on pressing, keep on pushing. You are strong, resilient, and at the right time, it will happen. Be strong in who you are and your identity.
Celma Gaspar, Partnership Manager at Coding Black Females said: “Blessing has been an outstanding team member since the day she joined us. Her enthusiasm and dedication to her tasks have been truly remarkable. She is a quick learner, consistently punctual, and goes above and beyond to ensure tasks are completed with excellence.
“Blessing's attention to detail and attentiveness set her apart. It has been an absolute pleasure working with her. When her intern hours concluded, we knew we wanted to continue benefiting from her support in the future. She is an asset to any team.”
-
Kieran’s story
The Clockhouse Community Centre has been active in the Woolwich Riverside ward for generations. It is a one-stop shop and focal point for the local community hosting a range of activities and support services. It offers an advice hub, food bank, low-cost café and venue hire.
We caught up with Kieran who completed a placement with the Clockhouse through the Synapse Fair Growth scheme.
How was your placement with Clockhouse?
It was good. The whole process of getting in contact with GLLaB and them bringing us all together was very smooth.
Everyone at the Clockhouse was welcoming and helpful. They wanted a view from someone who grew up using social media. Luckily, I was that person! I helped them have a bit more understanding of how social media works and try to get as much coverage as possible.
What did you do there as a social media assistant?
In the first couple of days, I was mainly putting up social media posts and getting a feel for their target audience. I looked at user statistics for Instagram X, and Facebook and found their main platform was Facebook. The Clockhouse already has a presence in Facebook groups with thousands of members, so that was a way of maximising the number of people who saw their content.
There were two standout posts that got 7000 views, over 30 reactions and a few reposts. My advice was to schedule posts regularly, be consistent and pique people’s interest as you want them to come back to your page.
What was your biggest achievement there?
My biggest achievement would be increasing engagement and getting the Clockhouse more exposure. It's about knowing the audience. From what I could see, their social media was reaching the 20 to 34 age range, so that determined the timings of when to post. People aren't really going to check social media at 9am, but they're going to be active in the evening, or waiting to pick their children up from nursery or school. What would you do in those 2 to 3 hours? You're going to maybe have a coffee, read a book, watch some TV and scroll.
I focused on Facebook as that had the most potential. I scheduled four posts a day and then the same over X. To give an example, we had an abundance of hi-vis jackets donated, so we put a post out asking if anyone needed some. Over the course of a month, they all got taken, some by schools for field trips. It really embraces what the Clockhouse is about: giving back to the community. It’s a crucial place for people in Woolwich and Charton. They have advice hubs there, and it’s a place to go if you want an answer to something or make a change.
What experience did you have before you did the placement?
Not much apart from college, where I studied creative technology. I also worked part-time at McDonald's and was promoted to full-time. So, when GLLaB offered me a placement as social media assistant, I thought: “Let’s do it!”
What support did you get from the council?
I was in care and with that came a lot of opportunities, like help with job seeking. I was put in touch with advisor at GLLaB, so indirectly it led me there. The support I got from the Royal Borough of Greenwich when I was in care was nothing short of amazing.
What are your plans for the future?
I've got my apartment, so I’m happy in that regard. In terms of work, I’m looking for IT roles – and I have customer service experience – but just anything to support me and my partner. A big thing for me is financial stability. I like making sure that I have enough money to pay for everything I need to and then also even just a little bit on the side to maybe. Go out for a meal or even have a little takeaway night. I just have to wait and see what the future holds.
Kevin McBrien, Clockhouse Community Centre Manager said: “The Clockhouse and New Charlton Community Centre were delighted to be included in the Synapse Fair Growth scheme. This scheme offered a wonderful opportunity for us, as the client, to benefit and learn from the skills set of someone who was clearly much better in the field of social media advertising and marketing than we were.
“Kieran brought lots of fresh ideas and enthusiasm to the role. He helped us become much more focused on key target demographics, as well as advising us about the importance of precise scheduling for social media posts and the frequency of when to post. He was a huge help to our small team and left us with a much-improved social media strategy. The benefits have been obvious, as our improved online presence has increased our bookings and online likes.
“We wish Kieran all the best in his future career and thank him for all his input here. We also thank GLLaB for the support they offered to Kieran.”