The programme will launch in early July 2023 and run throughout the summer. It will involve two key elements. One will include a series of events organised by Careers in Ideas which focuses on various topics such as an overview of IP, types of IP careers, and application advice. The other element will involve work placements that are provided by individual organisations but are promoted under the Summer of IP banner. It is hoped that the project will help raise awareness of various IP careers, particularly amongst under-represented groups.
Keep reading this blog post to find out more about the project and how you can get involved. [Editor’s note: we now have a dedicated Summer of IP webpage which you can visit for more up-to-date information.]
What is Summer of IP?
Careers in Ideas is our outreach campaign which aims to raise awareness of IP-related careers among under-represented groups and increase upstream diversity. To help achieve this goal we have decided to host our own initiative called Summer of IP. Summer of IP will launch in 2023 and will be a hybrid format (made up of two key elements). One element will involve general Careers in Ideas-organised events. The other will involve some work placements that are promoted under the Summer of IP banner. These will be advertised and promoted on the Careers in Ideas website but organised by the individual organisations themselves.
The purpose
Our plan is that Summer of IP will help raise awareness of the various IP careers that are on offer and educate individuals on what IP is more generally. Equally, we hope the project will provide individuals (who already know that they want to go into IP) with the opportunity to gain practical work experience. This will enable them to enhance their CV and increase their employability.
Who is Summer of IP aimed at?
The Summer of IP initiative will be open to anyone who is interested in learning more about a career within IP. We hope that our events will be attended by a mix of secondary school students, university students, graduates and career changers. By having the initiative open to everyone we believe this is in line with our values of inclusivity and equality. We also feel that this reflects our vision that everyone regardless of their background should be able to consider a career in IP.
Whilst many of the events will be open to all, we plan to offer targeted promotion to under-represented groups through our charity and other relevant contacts. This is to ensure that no one gets left behind, and that everyone is encouraged to join in with our Summer of IP.
Part A – Careers in Ideas
Part A of our project will involve some virtual events organised and run by Careers in Ideas. These events will take place over several months during the summer of 2023. We are hoping the launch event will be on British IP day (6 July 2023).
The events will be in various formats depending on the event topic. For example, certain topics may be best delivered in presentation form while others would be better suited to a Q&A session. Some events could be less formal and allow an opportunity for attendees to chat with an IP professional in a more mentoring-style forum. However, our intention is that most if not all will be virtual, so as to widen accessibility and reach.
Potential topics we are considering covering include:
- A general introduction to IP and its relevance in society
- An overview of the different types of IP
- Information about the full range of IP-related careers including support roles
- Insight into specific types of roles
- Guidance on the application process, preparing CVs and interviews
Whilst Careers in Ideas will organise these events, there is scope for other organisations to host their own events during this period. Any organisation that is interested would have the freedom to decide which topic they discuss and the event format. Organisations could therefore offer more tailored events which target a certain group or an area of IP. For example, an organisation may decide that they would like to host an event which is tailored for those studying STEM degrees at university.
We are planning on recording each event and publishing the recordings on the Careers in Ideas website so that they can be accessed at a later date. This will be particularly useful for those who may have other commitments and cannot attend the events (for example those who may be unable to get childcare).
Our opening event will most likely be a general event which sets the scene for the activities that will follow. It is hoped that this will also add value for the organisations, who will receive a better-informed cohort of attendees. Equally, we hope to end Summer of IP with a tying up session. If resources permit, this event could include a case study for attendees to work on.
Overall, the aim of the Careers in Ideas element is to spark a potential interest in this career path. Hopefully, this will then encourage individuals to apply to complete work experience with participating organisations.
Part B – Work Experience Placements/ Open Days/ Presentations
Alongside our series of events, we would like to use Summer in IP as a banner under which different organisations can provide their own awareness-raising and work experience activities or placements.
Organisations would have the freedom to determine the type of activity on offer and its format, content and target audience. For example, some organisations may wish to host a formal one-week placement while others may prefer to host a more informal open day-style event. Each organisation would also handle its own registration and application processes. It would be up to the individuals themselves to apply for these placements rather than Careers in Ideas to match individuals to organisations. It is hoped that organisations could offer a range of activities that are targeted at different IP-related roles and at those who are at different stages of their education or careers.
Those organisations that do not have the resources to offer a more formal type of event could consider offering a talk under Part A of the project or could consider offering a more informal mentoring-style opportunity.
Careers in Ideas will then advertise these placements or events online in a job board-style forum.
Next steps
We are still in the planning stages of Summer of IP. However, if you would like to be involved in organising Part A of the project, please email us via [email protected] to find out more.
Alternatively, if you believe that your organisation could offer some work experience or would like to host their own Careers in Ideas event then we would love to hear from you. Again, please drop us a line at [email protected].
Page published on 5th September 2022
Page last modified on 6th January 2023