A program aiming to recruit 2,000 black interns a year into business roles has opened for 2021 applications.
10,000 Black Interns follows the success of the pilot initiative 100 Black Interns, which was developed to address the lack of diversity within the UK’s investment management industry.
The first programme was heavily oversubscribed and resulted in over 500 young Black people placed in paid work experience at firms including HSBC, LGIM, Goldman Sachs, Investec, Capstone Investment Advisers, RWC Partners, Allianz, Deutsche Bank and St James’ Place, several of whom have since accepted full-time job offers as a result of the successful internships.
Here, ESG Clarity‘s global head of ESG insight Natalie Kenway speaks to Donatus Gyato who carried out an internship at Investec in London.
Gyato outlines the application process, what he learned during the experience and advice for those wishing to apply.
Applications for the 2022 programme opened on 6 September 2021 until 7 November 2021, and are available to young people from Black African, Black Caribbean, Mixed Black and/or other Black British backgrounds who are over the age of 18 and are currently studying at university in the UK, or who have graduated since 2018.
The internships will constitute paid work experience and last a minimum of six weeks, taking place in the summer of 2022. Successful applicants will receive training to ensure they are workplace-ready and can make the most of the opportunity.
The programme is being supported by seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton MBE who said: “10,000 Black Interns is an important initiative which aims to address the underrepresentation of Black talent in British business, by offering paid internships across a wide range of exciting sectors. This programme is a real game changer for young people and I strongly encourage Black students to apply.”
10,000 Black Interns was co-founded by Jonathan Sorrell, president of Capstone Investment Advisors, Dawid Konotey-Ahulu, co-founder of Redington and Mallowstreet, Michael Barrington-Hibbert, founder and managing partner of Barrington Hibbert Associates and Wol Kolade CBE, Managing Partner of Livingbridge.
Konotey-Ahulu commented “More often than not, success in life is the result of being given an opportunity to show what you can do. Early in my career, I was fortunate to have people who believed in me and gave me a chance. I didn’t have a typical background for a City job but they gave me a shot anyway. That’s what this programme is doing for thousands of young men and women who will soon show us just how far they can go.”
