For many young people figuring out their place in the working world, 2025 can feel pretty intimidating. The future already seems uncertain for most, but it’s especially tough for those who’ve slipped out of mainstream education.
In the music and media industries, plenty of successful people are self-taught — but that can only take you so far without access to training or guidance. Aiming to close that gap and empower the next generation is In Music In Media, a youth-focused organization creating digital creative music and media programs for marginalized young people. Their courses offer alternative educational routes beyond traditional pathways, helping young talent build real skills and confidence.
Earlier this year, in May, In Music In Media hosted the Musically Unorthodox Conference in Northampton, backed by Youth Music funding. The event brought together educators, policymakers, industry professionals, and creatives to discuss concrete solutions that could equip young people with new skills, open up opportunities, and help prevent them from falling into long-term unemployment or crime.
The conference highlighted five key challenges facing young people trying to break into music and media: qualification barriers, lack of experience, the “self-taught struggle” that keeps them isolated from professional networks, a wider networking vacuum, and an information gap that shuts them out of new opportunities.
These issues were tackled in-depth with input from experts representing the MOBO Awards, PRS Foundation, Youth Employment UK, and the Northamptonshire Serious Violence Prevention Partnership, along with musicians and youth mentors like Maxwell D and Dreadz, who offered hands-on advice to help open doors in an industry that can often feel closed off.
The work doesn’t stop there — In Music In Media is continuing the conversation and calling for new stakeholders, allies, and collaborators to get involved. They’re encouraging community leaders, educators, industry professionals, and young people interested in making a difference to reach out via email to join the movement.
