<\/p>\n
The Kurt Geiger Kindness Foundation has opened a final release of 10 places on its free, seven\u2011month Business by Design academy for London residents; applications reopen on 14 August and close at 5pm on 18 August 2025, with learning starting on 9 September. The AQA Unit Award\u2011accredited programme \u2014 run from the company\u2019s Farringdon HQ and combining masterclasses, paid work placements and one\u2011to\u2011one mentorship \u2014 expanded intake after a reported 120% year\u2011on\u2011year rise, and Kurt Geiger says it will launch a national online roll\u2011out in early 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The Kurt Geiger Kindness Foundation has announced a final release of 10 places for the third cohort of its Business by Design Academy, a free, seven\u2011month vocational programme run from the company\u2019s London head office in Farringdon. Applications reopen on Thursday 14 August and close at 5pm on Monday 18 August 2025, with learning scheduled to begin on Tuesday 9 September. According to the company, the course is AQA Unit Award\u2011accredited and designed as a practical alternative to traditional higher education for London\u2011based young people contemplating creative careers.
(According to the original announcement and the academy\u2019s programme pages.)<\/p>\n
The academy says the curriculum combines weekly masterclasses and one\u2011to\u2011one mentorship with paid work experience across departments including design, buying, digital marketing and merchandising. Participants are reportedly given practical assessment and certification on completion, and the scheme covers expenses while offering hands\u2011on exposure to multiple business functions. Kurt Geiger has described Business by Design as a pathway into employment rather than a conventional degree route.
(Company materials and the original report.)<\/p>\n
Kurt Geiger told reporters it expanded places for this intake after applications rose by around 120% year\u2011on\u2011year, increasing capacity by 50% compared with the previous year and effectively doubling the final intake. The Class of 2025 comprised 33 students; the company says four of those graduates have taken up full\u2011time roles at Kurt Geiger and three received grants to launch their own ventures, while a number of alumni have progressed into apprenticeships or paid summer placements with the business. Independent trade reporting also notes the group intends to launch a national online platform in early 2026 to make the same curriculum and mentorship accessible beyond London.
(Company statements and reporting by industry outlets.)<\/p>\n
The expansion is being framed against persistent socio\u2011economic barriers to creative careers. The academy\u2019s publicity highlights that only a small minority of creative\u2011sector workers come from working\u2011class backgrounds, a point echoed by research bodies that say the creative economy remains more socially exclusive than many other sectors and would need roughly 250,000 additional working\u2011class employees to match the wider economy\u2019s socio\u2011economic mix. Campaigners and researchers also draw attention to the continued prevalence of unpaid or underpaid internships in arts, media and fashion \u2014 a practice the Sutton Trust and others say favours those who can rely on family support and reduces social mobility.
(Advocacy and policy research reports.)<\/p>\n
At the same time, the creative industries are economically significant. Government and parliamentary analyses show the sector contributed roughly \u00a3124 billion in gross value added and supported about 2.4 million jobs in the most recent official period \u2014 figures frequently cited to underline why improving access and skills should be a public\u2011policy priority. Yet those same publications highlight regional concentration of activity and ongoing challenges on diversity and progression.
(Official statistics and parliamentary briefing.)<\/p>\n
Cost remains central to the argument for alternatives to degree study. Official student\u2011loan statistics for 2024\u201325 put the average loan balance for borrowers entering repayment at about \u00a353,010, a figure campaigners and businesses point to when urging more vocational routes that do not saddle young people with large debts. Kurt Geiger\u2019s chief executive, Neil Clifford, told the Express that \u201cthe idea that you need a degree to succeed in fashion is outdated\u2026 That\u2019s exactly what Business by Design is about \u2013 access, experience, and real\u2011world support.\u201d The company frames the programme as one element of a wider push by firms to widen opportunity.
(Official student\u2011finance data and company commentary published in the original report.)<\/p>\n
While the academy\u2019s growth and the planned digital roll\u2011out have been welcomed by industry commentators as welcome practical steps, independent research bodies and education charities stress that employer\u2011led programmes must sit alongside stronger policy measures \u2014 from enforcement on paid internships to longer\u2011term social mobility plans \u2014 if the sector is to address systemic exclusion at scale. Those groups argue that collective action from government, industry and education will be required to ensure talent from all backgrounds can access sustainable careers across the creative economy.
(Policy centres and research organisations; sector charities and campaigners.)<\/p>\n
Prospective applicants should note the short window for this final round: applications reopen on 14 August and close on 18 August 2025, with the cohort starting in September. For further details, the company\u2019s Business by Design information pages provide application guidance and contact details.
(Company announcement and programme information.)<\/p>\n