Travers Smith LLP has joined #10000BlackInterns, a programme, which is designed to help transform the horizons and prospects of young Black people in the United Kingdom through training and internship.
The programme, which has been launched today, offers paid work experience across a wide range of sectors, providing training and development opportunities and creating a sustainable cycle of mentorship and sponsorship for the Black community. It follows on after the successful launch of the investment management industry’s #100BlackInterns initiative two months ago.
The programme's aim is for over 20 industries to join together to provide 10,000 internships in aggregate over five years. The #100BlackInterns initiative in the investment management industry will serve as a template for other industries to follow with the aim of those sectors joining the programme, each offering at least 100 internships, where feasible, per year for five years. These internships will begin in Winter of 2021/2020 or Summer of 2022 in order to reach the ultimate goal of providing 10,000 internships to young Black people.
Leading companies from ten sectors have already joined #10000BlackInterns at launch, including Credit Suisse, Health Data Research UK, PwC and Zurich Insurance Company, amongst others. Travers Smith is one the two founding law firm members.
#10000BlackInterns is led by Dawid Konotey-Ahulu, a co-founder of Redington Limited and Mallowstreet, Jonathan Sorrell, President of Capstone Investment Advisors, Michael Barrington-Hibbert, founder of Barrington Hibbert Associates, and Wol Kolade, Managing Partner of Livingbridge.
This programme has the backing of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) which together will be encouraging their respective members to participate. The programme will also work in partnership with bodies representing a comprehensive range of higher education institutions including University Alliance, GuildHE, MillionPlus and the Russell Group.
This initiative builds on the existing work that Travers Smith has been undertaking in tackling racial inequality and BAME inclusion, particularly in the legal sector.
Senior Partner Kathleen Russ commented: "There remain deep-seated problems of racial inequality in society. At Travers Smith, we recognise we need to do more to tackle the systemic barriers facing the BAME community at work and in the wider society. We are very pleased to be part of #10000BlackInterns programme and involved in its work from the very outset. As one of the founding law firm members of #10000BlackInterns, we are looking forward to working with our partners, in helping roll out this programme in the legal sector."
