At Sky, we want to use our position as a leading media and communications company to make a positive impact on society. A whole generation has been born since Sky’s launch in 1989. So, as our 25th anniversary approaches in early 2014, we’ve decided to focus on supporting young people in Britain and Ireland.

Building skills and nurturing talent is of course an important part of long-term success in business. And it’s equally vital for society as a whole. We want to play our part in giving young people the help and opportunities they need to succeed in a changing world.

That’s where Sky Academy comes in. It’s a unique and ground-breaking set of initiatives that uses the power of television, creativity and sport to inspire young people and help them reach their potential. Sky Academy will make the most of our strengths in media and technology as well as the passion and expertise of our people. And it will link up with schools and other organisations and work with inspirational role models from the world of TV, sport and the arts.

Just as Sky Academy is all about encouraging the under-25s to aim high, we also want to make a big impact. Our ambition is to create opportunities for up to one million young people to build skills and experience by 2020.

Headquartered in a brand new building at the heart of our West London campus, Sky Academy will comprise initially of four initiatives: Sky Academy Skills Studio, Sky Sports Living for Sport, Sky Academy Scholarships and Sky Academy Starting Out. A fifth, built around creativity and the arts, will follow in 2014. Together, these initiatives will create opportunities for under-25s across Britain and Ireland and bring more of this generation into our business to build their skills and gain valuable experience.

Sky Academy is part of our approach to building a better business for the long term. We know that simply being good for Sky is not enough. For lasting success, we must be good for our customers, employees, partners and the wider community. We call this seeing the bigger picture and it’s a core part of our ‘Believe in better’ ethos. 

Through our day-to-day operations, we make a significant and growing economic and social contribution to Britain and Ireland. But we want to do more and reach further beyond our business. Sky Academy is one of the ways in which we do this. 

To find out more, please visit the Sky Academy website.