We’ve been working with Sony for six years now to deliver Positive Influence to staff from across the business. Read about the programme here.

THE PROBLEM

Sony recognised the problems that existed within the creative industries and wanted to find a way to not only support those looking to enter companies like theirs but also give their staff a way to be part of the change and engage with a younger generation of talent looking to enter the industry.

In such a fast-paced and culture-based world of entertainment, it was essential for Sony to ensure that socioeconomic diversity was a core component of their DE&I strategy.

The team at Sony wanted future talent to understand what goes on behind the scenes at Sony and show them what jobs exist and the skills they need to work there to ensure they could source new talent. They also wanted to ensure their own staff had the appropriate training to support and manage junior talent from diverse backgrounds.

THE SOLUTION

We worked with Sony to create Positive Influence, a mentoring programme that aimed to give young people the tools needed to break down long-standing barriers in the creative industry.

This six-month-long programme matched staff from across Sony UK with young creatives aged 18-25 from lower socioeconomic backgrounds sourced through our dedicated outreach.

Mentors from Sony received 10 hours of training on the barriers to entry for young people, mentoring and coaching techniques, social and cultural capital, and diversity and inclusion advocacy. Mentors were then matched to mentees, where they had fortnightly one-hour meetings (either in person or remotely). These sessions allowed mentees to explore their career aspirations, set goals and objectives, and develop their skills.

With each iteration, we ran a launch and a showcase event. The showcase event is where mentees had the opportunity to present their projects and achievements from the programme to Sony employees, creating a space where they could network. 

The programme originally started with our partnership with Sony Music UK, and after a great success, it evolved and was rolled out to include Sony Electronics, Sony Music UK, Sony Music Publishing, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and Sony Pictures. This has made a wider impact throughout the business, connected different departments, and allowed us to have a range of mentors with different expertise to support our network of young people.

Our sixth cohort of Positive Influence will begin in April 2024.

THE IMPACT

After running the programme yearly since 2018 with great success, we’ve been able to contribute to the skills development to over 100 young people. From the fifth cohort alone, five mentees were able to gain employment whilst on the programme.

In addition to this, the mentors from Sony also experienced growth. An overwhelming majority of mentors reported that they developed a better understanding of supporting young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and how to advocate for diversity within their company, which further supports the execution of Sony’s diversity and inclusion strategy.

Data from our fifth cohort in 2023 showed:

• 100% of mentors had a good understanding of the barriers impacting socioeconomic diversity.

• 74% of mentors said they would continue to meet with their mentee, indicating that the support and development will continue beyond the programme.

• 82% of mentees agreed they have a clear understanding of the different roles and career paths within the creative industries

Positive Influence was also nominated in the 2023 Business Charity Awards for the partnership between Creative Mentor Network and Sony Music UK.