Ideas Foundation at Number 11 Downing Street

The evening was hosted by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt. Hon George Osborne MP, and supported by The Evening Standard and D&AD. The aim of the event was to celebrate creative career opportunities for school and college students.

Marketing leaders from some of the UK's biggest brands, agency leaders and education representatives gathered at 11 Downing Street to support greater diversity within the creative industries.

Hosted by chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne, the event highlighted the work of the Ideas Foundation in boosting creative career opportunities for school and further education students.

Brands including Barclays and IBM, and agencies including Ogilvy & Mather, BBH and Engine, are on board to help develop the skills of young people from diverse backgrounds, with the aim of helping them find a job in the creative industries.

Over the last year, diversity has become one of the hottest topics within ,the advertising and marketing industries. There is now a growing consensus that things need to change.

Jonathan Akwue, Chair of the Ideas Foundation

Britain is home to an incredibly successful and vibrant creative sector, worth almost £77bn to our economy. Accounting for 1.8 million jobs in the UK, the British creative industries leads the world and I would encourage anyone considering a career in this area to get involved with the great work and opportunities created by fantastic organisations like the Ideas Foundation.

George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer

Working with the Ideas Foundation has been a revelation for us and our students. The Ideas Foundation is a trusted partner that delivers great industry experiences for our creative students as they try to make sense of their futures. They always do what they say and add a bit extra to make each project a rich and dynamic process for everyone involved.

Peter Mayhew Smith, Principle of Kingston College and Carshalton College