Penguin Random House | London, 07/15/2016

PRH UK Adds New Editors Through 'the Scheme'

A psychologist, an English teacher, a university graduate, and a high-school student are the four new aspiring editors who have emerged from the innovative entry-level program called "The Scheme." The four newcomers, Aimée Longos, Rosanna Forte, Alex Harrison and June Eric-Udorie, will now start their publishing career at Penguin Random House UK, bringing fresh ideas and perspectives to the publishing group.

As reported  , "The Scheme" is a Penguin Random House UK project to scout the book editors of tomorrow. The entry-level program is open to all regardless of whether they are still at school, studying at college or already in a job, and no matter what qualifications they have acquired to date. The second round of the program revolved around storytelling. The tasks required no prior knowledge of publishing, but tested the core strengths required for editors. The candidates were not required to submit their CVs or qualifications.

1,300 applicants

About 1,300 men and women applied for the program. During the application process, 50 candidates pitched their ideas for "The Next Big Thing" and explained how they would realize their idea. In the next round, the remaining 18 applicants were tasked with creating a concept for a book cover and conducting a sales pitch for a new publication. In the end, the winners were Aimée Longos, a forensic psychologist and family therapist from Manchester; Rosanna Forte, an English teacher, translator and writer from Wales; Alex Harrison, a graduate and author who works for a technology company in Hammersmith, London; and June Eric-Udorie, a high school student, writer and feminist campaigner from London. The four prospective editors will join Penguin Random House UK for a 13-month traineeship in September, spending six months each in one of its publishing divisions.

Aimée Longos said of her experience: "The final assessment was amazing. I felt like I’d won a Golden Ticket to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, except with amazing books instead of sweets! Although the Friday was gruelling, everyone was so supportive and there was just the right level of assessment to test our various skills, creativity and resilience."

Transparent application process

Rosanna Forte added: "The application process was completely transparent, which is so refreshing in an industry which can seem like something of a closed door. And the tasks were so much fun - creative and challenging in the best possible way." Alex Harrison commented: "I think everyone felt like they'd been assessed more fairly and thoroughly than ever before." June Eric-Udorie said: "If I’m honest, I was always worried because of my age, but I was so supported by the dream team that is Penguin Random House’s HR department. They were also incredibly accommodating of my disability and I never once felt isolated. It felt more than a recruitment process - it felt more like a journey where I really found my interests and challenged myself."

Neil Morrison, Group HR Director, Penguin Random House UK, said: "The idea of The Scheme is to break down barriers to publishing to give talented people with real potential the opportunity to work somewhere they perhaps wouldn’t have considered before. We used social media sites like Snapchat to reach new audiences and it has been very encouraging to see a shift towards genuine diversity of candidates this year. Rosanna, Aimée, Alex and June."

On July 27, Penguin Random House is running "#JobHack," a day of creative workshops for job-seekers in Birmingham, as part of its efforts to reach audiences beyond London and break down barriers to entering publishing. Attendees will have the chance to gain experience of marketing, editing and many other publishing roles, as well as the opportunity to network and learn new employability skills.