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Represent Partners with Shillington for Diversity in Design Scholarship + Mentorship in London

We’re proud to announce Shillington is partnering with Represent for a Diversity in Design Full Scholarship + Industry Mentorship opportunity in London, providing a career-changing opportunity to aspiring designers from underrepresented groups.

As a collaborative commitment by both educators and employers, the scholarship strives to support and strengthen equity by cultivating diverse and inclusive representation in the design industry—within classrooms and beyond.

The winner will receive 100% off course fees for our London full-time or part-time course starting in September 2021, followed by post-graduate mentorship.

In London, Represent will:

  • Select the winner with Shillington and a #Shillumni panel
  • Sponsor 50% of the full scholarship course fees
  • Offer a living bursary
  • Rent out tech equipment for the duration of the course
  • Provide post-graduate mentorship sessions

Interested in applying, or know someone who should? Find out more about both the Diversity in Design Full Scholarship + Industry Mentorship and Dive into Design Half Scholarship (open to everyone).

Read on for an interview with Mike Radcliffe, Managing Director of Represent. Deadline: Monday, 19 July 2021.

For those who haven’t heard of Represent, tell us who you are and what you do.

We’re a small recruitment agency based in London specialising in creative recruitment. There’s a team of 11 of us working with some of the best design and brand studios predominantly in London. We cover recruitment for people looking to get their foot on the creative scene ladder right through to seasoned professionals. We work with graphic designers, strategists, copy writers, digital designers and client services.

Why did Represent decide to partner with Shillington for the Diversity in Design Scholarship?

While we had worked on a project about the diversity problem in our little corner of the world in 2019 called Designing Diversity, we knew we needed to do more. The short term fix was to seek out and work with people from diverse backgrounds but we felt there just wasn’t enough people already in the industry. We then thought about longer term strategies based on working with teenagers in schools to encourage them into further design education through outreach but this was going to take a long time.

So we decided that the way forward was to create and back a scholarship programme aimed at getting people design educated quickly and therefore into the design industry faster. That’s when we decided to team up with Shillington, this way we back people who want to get in to the creative industry and could see positive outcomes in a matter of months.

What are you looking for in applications?

We’re looking for candidates who have already demonstrated an interest and show talent in design. We’re looking for a good awareness of graphic design, some talent and real enthusiasm for the craft.

Along with a strong interest in design we’re looking for people who are emotionally intelligent, people who show real commitment and positivity BUT most of all we’re looking for people who need our backing and help to thrive. We’re ready to offer as much as we can to help and set someone up for success.

What can the winner expect from the mentorship sessions?

We’ll be offering 5 mentoring sessions, these will focus on getting you orientated with the industry, understanding good design, who to talk to, where are the best places to work and the big part is getting you ‘show room’ ready—working on how you present yourself with your CV and portfolio, interviewing technique etc.

Anything else you’d like to share?

We have always had great relationships with students at various universities and a big part of our purpose is to help young people find great work. The design sector in the UK is something to be proud of, it’s one of the best in the world and adds hugely to our economy. We want to show people what work they can do in our industry along with giving them an extra leg up. In short, we love seeing people thrive and get the job they really want.

It’s exciting for us to be part of the conversation and to try and effect change and create a more diverse creative industry.

Huge thanks to Represent for partnering with us, and sharing their thoughts.

Want to apply for the Diversity in Design Full Scholarship + Industry Mentorship in London? Or know someone who should? Find out more and apply.

If you’re not eligible for this scholarship, Shillington is also offering Dive into Design Half Scholarships for September 2021 courses. Anyone and everyone can apply!

DEADLINE: Monday, 19 July 2021

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