Special Edition Alumni
Serina is Head of Activation - Associate Director at Amplifi, part of the Dentsu Aegis Network. She is part of the Special Edition class of 2018-2019.
Digital Training
Women are under-represented at Board level in the digital/tech sector in Scotland. To address this imbalance, we created Special Edition, a professional development programme that seeks to help ambitious, talented women fulfill their potential and reach the top of the industry.
Running over six months, the programme offers a dynamic mix of professional development training and creative expertise to help boost your confidence, improve your entrepreneurial skills, expand professional networks and progress your career in digital. The initiative includes formal workshops delivered by leading industry trainers PLUS an international field trip to meet with inspiring people making moves in the digital world.
The overall ambition of this programme is to set our female delegates on a career trajectory that ultimately leads to the boardroom. Now in its sixth year of delivery, Special Edition alumni have gone on to great things. Previous delegates have secured secure significant promotions, including to Board level, and started their own businesses.
Training will be delivered through one full-day training session per month over a period of six months. We work with leading trainers and respected industry professionals who have collaborated with TRC over several years and receive consistently excellent feedback from our delegates. Session topics for 2019/20 are yet to be tied down but will include highly rated training sessions from previous Special Edition programmes. Below are some examples of the training sessions to expect, along with feedback from previous delegates.
Special Edition is open to women working in commercial businesses in the digital sector in Scotland. For guidance, this includes but is not limited to: digital agencies, software development, games, animation, mobile apps, augmented/virtual reality and technology.
We welcome applications from ambitious female candidates* who will use this exceptional opportunity to progress their professional careers. Applicants should have:
*Special Edition is open to all women (trans, intersex and cis) and all nonbinary, agender and gender variant people. Self-definition is at the sole discretion of that individual.
The Special Edition 2019/20 dates
Wednesday 4th September 2019: Inspire/ Empower Me
Thursday 3rd October 2019: Difficult Conversations/pitching
Thursday 7th November 2019: Work/Life balance
Thursday 5th December 2019: Action Learning Sets
Wednesday 15th January 2020: Leadership
Business trip: Location and February dates TBC
Who are TRC?
For over 20 years, TRC has delivered high-end training for individuals and businesses working in the broadcast and digital sectors. Through TRC training, careers have been transformed, new start-ups established, international business secured, skill shortages tackled, business strategies re-framed and invaluable networks formed. TRC’s reputation as one of the UK’s leading training providers has allowed them to provide unrivalled access to the world’s most innovative companies including tech leaders in San Francisco and broadcasters from London to New York and Los Angeles.
Find out more about TRC.
What is Special Edition?
Special Edition is a professional development programme for ambitious women working in Scotland’s digital and tech industries who are committed to furthering their careers within the sector. Running over a period of six months, Special Edition arms ambitious and talented women with the knowledge, skills and network to realise their full potential.
Special Edition was devised in direct response to the gender imbalance in Scotland’s digital sector. Statistics consistently show that women are under-represented at board level and senior positions within Scottish businesses. In Scotland’s Digital Technology sector, women make up only 18% of the workforce, which is considerably lower than other skilled occupations (39%) and the country’s workforce as a whole (48%) (source). The figures are more skewed when we look to positions of power: 100% of CEOs of Scotland’s 50 ‘top companies’ (as identified by Scottish Business Insider) are men (source). We believe that gender equality in the boardroom is paramount to the wider diversity of Scotland’s digital sector and so the overall ambition of this programme is to set our female delegates on a career trajectory that ultimately leads to the boardroom. Special Edition has been running since 2013 and has seen alumni go on to successfully start their own businesses and secure significant job promotions, salary increases and board positions.
How much does the programme cost?
Special Edition is heavily subsidised by our programme funders: Scottish Enterprise, BBC Nations and Regions, Channel 4 and Screen Scotland. The delegate fee is £395.
Due to the public sector investment in this project, we are obliged to let you know that under EC Commission Regulations* your participation in Special Edition is de minimis aid amounting to £2,768 There is a ceiling of €200,000 for all de minimis aid provided to any one company over a 3 year period. The support will be relevant if your company wishes to apply, or has applied, for any other public sector support i.e. de minimis aid.
Can I apply if I work for a charity?
No. Applications are only open to those working within commercial businesses.
Should I apply if I have already applied previously?
Yes! Special Edition is a competitive application process, and there could be many reasons why the course wasn't right for you the first time around. We welcome and encourage applications from women who have previously applied for the course.
What are you looking for in applications?
We recommend that you take your time with your application and really consider how this programme will benefit you and your career. You should outline your goals and ambitions, and also identify areas for improvement/barriers/personal challenges that the course could help you with. Be as honest as possible in your application and don't worry about presenting yourself as the 'finished package.'
How long is the programme?
Special Edition lasts six months – beginning in September 2019 and wrapping in February 2020. To take part in the programme it is imperative that you commit to full participation, which means attendance for all of the full-day training sessions (dates above) and for the duration of the trip.
Where will we travel with the business trip?
Previous Special Edition delegates have travelled to London, Berlin and Amsterdam to meet with inspirational leaders and entrepreneurs doing exciting things in the world of digital, from global names to innovative start-ups. The destination of this year’s programme is to be announced – keep your eyes peeled! You can read about last year's trip over on our blog.
What is covered in the trip?
TRC will cover the cost of flights and hotels during the field trip as well as travel between meetings on the itinerary. You are required to have adequate travel insurance and hold a current and valid passport for the field trip. If for any reason you cancel your participation on the trip, you are liable for the cost of travel (plane/train) and accommodation. You are required to cover your own expenses which will include travel to/from airport/train station and for meals/drinks/expenses on the trip.
Where does the training take place?
All training will take place in Glasgow City Centre, usually at TRC’s offices in Clockwise, 77 Renfrew Street Glasgow.
What if I have more questions?
No problem. Get in touch with the programme project manager Caroline McGonigle on 0141 223 8820, or via email at caroline.mcgonigle@trcmedia.org.
Applications closed
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BIMA Awards Finalist - July 2019
Special Edition is a finalist for the BIMA Advance Award for Talent/Diversity Initiative of the Year. Find out more.
The 2019/20 delegates
Carolyn Barbour
Senior Xamarin Developer
Boundary Technologies
Liah Moss
Senior Designer
Whitespace
Kirstin Watson
Head of Strategy & Creative
Innovation Digital
Rachel Ward
Senior Designer
After Digital
Suzanne Bennett
Account Director
Frame
Victoria McFadyen
Senior Content Manager
Bright Signals
Victoria Shepherd
Head of Content & Communications
Care Sourcer
Kirsty Burns
Digital Account Director
Dog Digital
Special Edition is an original training concept by TRC.
Special Edition is funded by our partners BBC Nations and Regions, Channel 4, Scottish Enterprise & Screen Scotland. There is a delegate fee of £395.
Special Edition Alumni
Leigh Dobson
Client Services Director
Signal
Anne Grieve
Associate Creative Director
AmazeRealise
Alanna Innes
Product Owner
XDesign
Justine Leahy
Head of Production
ISO Design
Serina MacDonald
Associate Director of Data & Analytics
IProspect Edinburgh
Laura Thomson
Strategy and Communications Director
Cause + Effect
Iris Winter
Senior Developer
Wyoming Interactive
Kari Yoshime
Senior Designer
LEWIS
Ceri Shaw
Engineering Lead
Prudential
Laura McHard
Creative Technologist
Frame
Claire McGarry
Managing Director
Wireframe Immersive
Helen Reid
Marcomms Strategist
Dog
Joanna Jakubowska
Senior UI Artist
Creative Assembly
Lynsey Briston
Customer Success Lead
Sustainably
Searra Dodds
UX/UI Designer
Seawolf Graphics
Terresa Aitken
Project Delivery Director
Signal
Sarah Johnson
Director
Indigo Leap
Laura Boyle
Lead Analytics & Insights Manager
Dog
Kaye Symington
Co-Founder
Paved with Gold
Danae Shell
Co-Founder and CEO
Valla
Claire Wood
Associate Planner
Leith
Vuokko Aro
Design Director
Monzo
Llara Geddes
Head of UX
User Conversion
Cassie Anderson
Account Manager
MD Consulting
Lauren McKellan
Senior 3D Artist
Rivet Games
Alex Durussel-Baker
Product and Service Design Consultant
Stephanie Lindsay
Director of Delivery & Marketing
Dog
Lynn Banks
Director of Production
Screenmedia
Louisa Gallie
Chief Creative Officer
Hunted Cow Studios
Laura Weatherhead
Full-stack .NET Developer
Spun
Kirsten Murray
Freelance art director, designer, and copywriter
Jen Thomson
UX and Digital Product Designer
Audrey Mason
Founder and CEO
Mantra
Romana Ramzan
Game Design Lecturer
Glasgow Caledonian University
Yolander Yeo
Designer, Director
VS + YO
Mhairi Towler
Founder and CEO
Vivomotion
Rebecca Thompson
Business Development Manager
Film City Futures
Darcie Tanner
Founder
Darcie Digital Co
Leanne Anderson
Performance Advisor
Inspiring Scotland
Frances Irvine
Head of Client Services
Whitespace
Cat Leaver
Director
Brand Scotland
Kate Bordwell
Creative Lead, Open Experience
RBS
Hear directly from our Special Edition Alumni on their experience of the programme.