His Majesty The King, accompanied by Tim Cook, Executive Chair of Apple, met the first cohort of young people taking part in the newly launched Apple x King’s Trust Creative Labs during a visit to Apple Music at Battersea Power Station in London.
Apple and The King’s Trust are building on their longstanding partnership by launching the immersive new education programme to help young people move into the world of work. The Apple x King’s Trust Creative Labs offer participants meaningful engagement with Apple experts across industries as they explore a variety of career pathways, equipping them with the technology, resources, skills, confidence, and expertise needed to realise their potential.
A cohort of up to 20 young people aged 18 to 30 will join specialised workshops to learn valuable, industry-aligned skills using Apple technologies. The immersive educational experience began with music industry and creative workshops on 6 – 7 October, with more to come over the course of the next year.
The King heard from participants involved in a music creation session led by Prophet Guillory, Head of Artist Services, Tools and Community at Apple Music, as part of the first workshop.
The visit concluded in the Apple Music Hall, a new state of the art live music venue, for a unique sound check experience. Sir Elton John, a longstanding supporter of The King’s Trust and Apple Music, joined The King and Tim Cook in the audience for the short performance, together with young people supported by The King’s Trust.
Apple has long supported educational programming for learners of all ages and backgrounds in the UK and around the world. Its offerings aim to help participants gain needed skills, access a wide range of resources, and succeed in the workforce.
Alisha Johnson Wilder, Apple’s senior director of Global Community Impact, said:
At Apple, we believe education is a powerful force for equity and opportunity.
For years, we’ve been proud to work alongside The King’s Trust to spark creativity and open doors for young people across the UK. With the launch of the Apple x King’s Trust Creative Labs, we’re taking that commitment further, connecting the next generation of creators and innovators directly with our experts, technology, and mentorship to help them build vital skills, discover their passions, and thrive in the workforce.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of The King’s Trust. Since it was founded by His Majesty The King, as the Prince of Wales, in 1976, it has helped 1.3 million young people across the UK reach their potential by developing life skills, preparing for employment, accessing job opportunities, and launching their businesses. At least £11.4 billion of social value can be attributed directly to the impact of The Trust’s programs over the last 50 years, and many of the participants it has supported over the last five years have moved into work, education, or training.
Jonathan Townsend, The King’s Trust’s UK Chief Executive, said:
Together with Apple, we have already opened up valuable opportunities for thousands of young people across the UK through our longstanding partnership.
We are proud to build on this work with the Creative Labs program, an exciting new chapter in our partnership that will help even more young people develop the confidence and creative digital skills they need to take their next steps towards employment. We cannot wait to see how they use these experiences to realise their potential and discover where their talents can take them.
Since 2019, Apple’s support has enabled The King’s Trust to expand STEAM programming to schools in every region across the country through the Achieve programme. Using Apple’s coding education resources, young people work collaboratively and think strategically to develop apps that address the needs and goals of their communities. Additionally, The King’s Trust’s 12-week Team programme offers young adults access to Apple technology and learning resources to support their efforts to earn a Personal Development and Employability qualification.
Apple is also working with The King’s Trust to develop resources that build AI literacy, creativity, and agency among educators and young people, and empowering educators to thoughtfully integrate the latest technologies within their teaching practices.
