Wavemaker’s Rita Harnett wins award for fostering greater inclusivity in media

Rita Harnett wins special award from social enterprise We Speak acknowledging her efforts to support young people from under-represented backgrounds gain confidence and employment through mentorship as another cohort of students graduate from the joint initiative.

The award was given by Laura North, Founder and CEO of We Speak, at an online graduation ceremony this week that marked the end of another successful programme. Rita Harnett was almost moved to tears upon receiving the accolade. She says: “I feel so honoured to have been recognised, but what I do for this programme is such a small cog in the whole machine; the real heroes are the students & the mentors from Wavemaker and of course Laura North who is the mastermind behind the entire programme. Managing the We Speak programme on behalf of Wavemaker is a real privilege – especially when we watch the students and how much they have developed when they present in the graduation in front of so many people!”

With employers stating that communication skills are one of their top requirements, over 50% of students do not actually feel confident sharing their ideas in class. To make things worse, young people from lower income backgrounds are twice as likely to have communication difficulties. We Speak is a social enterprise that aims to break down this barrier and support young people from under-represented backgrounds who are lacking in confidence to discover their voice. Wavemaker have partnered with We Speak over the last three years to run programs twice a year, with volunteers from Wavemaker being assigned to mentor school pupils of A-level age or even university students. Mentors support the students through weekly interactive sessions, helping students to be able to speak comfortably in a work environment, build confidence in presenting and to help them learn about the media world.

With amazing feedback from both students and mentors, it is safe to say that these programmes have been a success.

“The programme really helped alleviate a lot of my anxiety and doubts, and I got my job!”

Iqra, a student on the We Speak programme 2023 told the audience during the graduation ceremony

Pictured: Wavemaker and We Speak online graduation ceremony where three students gave a talk on a topic of their choice

“This is the best version of myself that I have been so far.”

Lara, student on the We Speak programme, class of 2023

The graduation ceremony hosted online this week provided an opportunity to not only celebrate the student’s completion of the course, but to also showcase their new confidence and presenting skills.

Wavemaker’s Global CEO Toby Jenner attended the graduation ceremony, congratulating the students and sharing his perspective on what he enjoys the most about his industry: the brilliant people and energy in the field, and the variety of industries and expertise you develop working agency-side. He also spoke about the importance of confidence and how it’s a coat of armour that allows you to step out of your comfort zone and helps you succeed. “We Speak allows you to build that coat of armour, whether you are presenting in front of loads of people or just a day-to-day thing.”­

We also heard from the mentors, Nic McCarthy and Oliver Gillies, who further spoke on the importance of the program and what it meant to be a part of it, sharing words of encouragement with the young students.

Finally, Kemi Oduniyi provided information about Wavemaker’s open roles and apprenticeship scheme. If you’re interested in a career at Wavemaker, drop her an email at [email protected].