Dr. Miri Firth is passionate about helping graduates thrive in the creative industries. As a Senior Lecturer in Education Leadership and Management at the University of Manchester, she leads the national AGCAS task group for creative industries, driving research, publications, and events that boost career readiness. At ERIC X NCW she’ll share how the CITG support emerging creative talent from the vital perspective of the employee. She’ll also update attendees on how you can get involved in shaping the future of graduate careers. Whether you’re a student, employer, or industry leader, there’s a place for you in this conversation!

Vicks has spent most of her career building communities within the SME’s and entrepreneur space. She loves to build an understanding what a company or individual does, see where their pain points are and then connecting them with relevant introductions to help their business grow. Vicks has been at IPSE for 3 years and is always impressed at the talent within the UK self-employed landscape and the tremendous impact it has to our economy.

Graduate of Central Saint Martins, Samuel is a seasoned entrepreneur. Founder of Ilana, a store for Luxury Fashion Brands and platform for Fashion Designers to gain expertise. He is also Founder of DESC (Developing Entrepreneurial Services and Communities), a web platform seeking to redefine how space is used and accessed on and offline and Co-Founder of a youth led social enterprise called HustleBucks which is under the umbrella of a charity, Trustee to a youth centre called Fast.

Over the years as a Social Entrepreneur he has facilitated workshops and programmes, delivered talks nationally and internationally, with his experience in enterprise he has spoken at The European Parliament in Strasbourg and Parliament in Lithuania, The RSA, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and addressed MP’s at The House of Commons as well as work with the Museum of London, Goldsmiths, The Queens Young Leaders and The British Council.

Hi, I'm Ethan. A 3rd Year Digital Marketing Apprentice and Host of the Not Going to Uni Podcast. Apprenticeships are something I am passionate about promoting and sharing other apprentices experiences too. I don't think there is any better way of promoting something than giving first hand experience. I started my own podcast from my bedroom at the age of 18 and it grew and grew until was finally handed the responsibility of running the Not Going to Uni Podcast. I'm really looking forward to speaking at the Eric National Careers Week talk and answering any questions that are thrown my way.

Caitlin and Ellie are both Strategic Account Managers, responsible for managing and nurturing relationships with companies that support apprentices in the tech and digital sectors. Their main focus is to develop strategic partnerships, ensuring businesses are satisfied with apprenticeship programmes and helping them meet their workforce development needs. They closely monitor the performance of apprentices within each business, making sure both apprentices and employers are satisfied with their delivery. They offer tailored programmes and continuous support throughout the apprenticeship journey, including recruitment, training, and assessments. Additionally, they manage the growth of a portfolio of key accounts, ensuring the successful and ongoing delivery of apprenticeship programmes.

Annie is the Head of Communications and External Affairs at University Alliance. She has spent her career delivering PR and communications in the University sector, having headed up the communications team for the UK Government’s prestigious Chevening Awards scholarship, and held a variety of roles at Universities UK and the National Union of Students. She uses her expertise to support policy makers, students and the public to make sense of the UK’s diverse university sector and is a keen advocate for the power of professional and technical universities.

LAWYER. AUTHOR. SPEAKER. I am a Partner in the Sports Group at Sheridans. I work with a variety of clubs, players and agents helping and advising on takeovers, transfers, contract negotiations, endorsement deals, reputation management, disciplinary, broadcasting and dispute issues.

I’m a Bloomsbury and Hachette author having published my football industry book Done Deal, my career book Build the Invisible and co-authoring 50 Ways Into Football. I also co-authored the EU Law Chapter in the seminal football industry textbook Football and the Law.

I speak at global conferences and events on topics such as football broadcasting rights, player transfers, agents rules, football club finance and takeovers, cost controls and multiple club ownership. I provide comment for a range of media outlets including BBC, ITV, Sky Sports, BT Sport, CNN and Bloomberg. I have a podcast series called The Dan and Omar Show where I (mainly) talk football with Omar Chaudhuri as well as a career and self-development podcast series called Build the Invisible where I talk with high achieving individuals about their career paths.

I have a fashion brand called ((Thirteen.)) where I sell hoodies, caps and t-shirts to raise money for cancer research.

Tobes is an ex-assistant headteacher that left schools just after Covid to manage learning programmes for adults. He initially managed programmes for a Tech unicorn (+$1Bn big start up) and now manages programmes in the creative industries.

James Ellis works as a business development manager for Creative Alliance. Creative Alliance are the specialists in Creative, Digital and Marketing apprenticeships. James manages the recruitment team that have recruited for apprenticeships, bootcamps and other work based training schemes. Has real insight to what a successful young person needs to do to get a role in the sector. 

This panel is chaired by Y11 students from Cotham School, Bristol.

Kirsty Fraser is a lead programmer at Third Kind Games, based in Leamington Spa, their clients include Rare, Blizzard and Playground Games. She graduated from Abertay University in 2016 and won the Technical Innovation Award in 2023 at the Women in Games awards. She is an advocate for helping under-represented people get into and staying in the industry and helped Third Kind Games start their LGBTQ+ support group.

HaZ Dulull started off his career in early video games (Playstation 1), which then led into a visual effects career before transitioning into directing & producing feature films. He co-founded his own production company, HaZimation, with producer Paula Crickard in 2017. Since then they have been producing animated feature films, series and video games. You can play their Fortnite games here. HaZ is also a content creator / influencer via his YouTube Channel: BEYOND THE PIXELs, which bridges gaming, technology and creative inspiration.

Frazer is a Director, Movement Director, and Educator working across theatre, film, and immersive arts. He trained as an actor at the University of the West of England before completing an MA in Drama Directing at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. His directing credits include work nationally, internationally and on the West End. He is a resident of the Pervasive Media Studio in Bristol exploring the intersection between art and technology to enhance audience experience. Passionate about education, he teaches acting and directing while researching creative technology career pathways for young people. For this work, he was named Tech4Good SouthWest Champion for 2025.

Createch is one of the fastest-growing areas of the creative industry, driving innovation across sectors and shaping the future of the creative economy. But what exactly is it? Join us for this webinar as we demystify Createch—where creativity meets technology—and explore the skills needed to thrive in this exciting field. With huge expansion across industries, from gaming and AI to immersive experiences and digital design, Createch is opening up new opportunities for creative professionals like never before. Whether you're a student, career changer, or industry professional, discover how you can be part of this booming sector. Don't miss out!

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