O2 is helping young people in the UK gain the skills and confidence they need for the world of work by sharing inspiring content and work-related opportunities through its GoThinkBig website.
In 2012 one in six 16-24 year-olds was classed as not in employment, education or training, according to the UK’s Department of Education. As part of its commitment to help one million young people develop skills for life and create a strong pool of potential employees, O2 tackled this challenge head on. It partnered with Bauer Media to help youngsters gain access to valuable advice and experience through a dedicated online platform.
The GoThinkBig website is run by a team of 11 young people, largely first-jobbers. They have created more than 1,000 pieces of content, from CV tips and how-to guides to interviews with top professionals, attracting around 2 million viewers. Additionally, 40 businesses in diverse industry sectors have stepped forward to offer work-shadowing opportunities, career insight days, apprenticeships, internships and graduate roles.
In two years, GoThinkBig has offered more than 21,000 career-related opportunities for 16-24 year olds. The website has an average 60,000 users a month, with 90% of a sample surveyed rating their experience as good or excellent.
In 2014 O2 stepped up its efforts by recruiting 70 young people to help create a remix of Nile Rodgers’ song Le Freak, with the help of top band Rudimental.
Participants learnt about everything that goes into creating a professional music track, and attended a performance at London’s O2 Arena, where they were able to shadow the events and live streaming teams. All royalties generated by the track will go back into funding GoThinkBig and Rodgers’ We Are Family Foundation.
