Arit Eminue is a multi-award winning entrepreneur, career and business coach who empowers people to realise their full potential in careers they enjoy, which in turn helps businesses to grow. Since 2005 she’s supported at least 1000 individuals into employment via Apprenticeships, internships as well as through her group coaching workshops and one to one support.
She does this through DiVA, a recruitment and training organisation specialising in creative, business, and digital apprenticeships. Arit founded the company from nothing; a single mum, she set the business up from a desk under her stairs and has built it into a recognised brand in the training and recruitment sector.
Her clients include some of the world’s most renowned entertainment media brands including All3 Media, Sony Music, the BBC, Warner Music, Endemol Shine UK, Warner Bros, the Southbank Centre, Fremantle, UK Music. She also developed, in partnership with the BPI/BRIT Trust, the BRITs Apprenticeship scheme, funded by proceeds of BRIT Music Awards, which supports the next generation of music executives.
An advocate for racial equality, 50% of the talent DiVA supports is from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities as is 84% of its staff.
DiVA it is part of the Apprenticeship Champions Diversity Network, who encourage more people from underrepresented groups, including those with disabilities, women and members of the black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, to consider apprenticeships.
Arit knows the people working in her business are her biggest asset and as a coach and experienced recruiter, she knows the people in organisations often do not know their value or worth. Employees attuned to their core values as well as their skillset who can demonstrate the value they can add to an organisation could have their pick of opportunities.
Businesses that place people and inclusivity at its heart will attract and retain the best people. For those who are less equipped and in danger of being left behind, the UK governments’ recent investment in skills development affords an excellent opportunity for them to help them develop the skills and experiences they need to drive their careers forward. And help businesses recruit the talent they need to recover. There has been a shift towards a focus on foundational skills (aka ‘soft skills’) such as creativity, communication, leadership, innovation and collaboration – employees who can master these skills and businesses which allow for their development will reap dividends.
Her passion for supporting people into careers they enjoy is born out of her personal experience of a lacklustre education. Arit was born and raised in the Northeast of England to Nigerian parents. However, she spent part of her adolescent years in foster care and left school with few GCSEs. Having suffered postnatal depression following the birth of her daughter, Arit is an advocate mental health and well-being. She’s an avid reader of books focused on our mindset, learnings which underpin her coaching practice.
Arit holds an MA in Executive Leadership Development and Mentoring. As a Career Development & Business coach, she works with women who are looking to change careers or move into senior-level roles. She also runs a series of career development and business workshops, and her YouTube channel provides viewers worldwide with tips on how to build careers they love either through employment, entrepreneurship or a mixture of both.
Arit is a respected and impactful speaker. She has contributed to discussions on LBC and Maritime Radio, and is regularly called upon to deliver keynote speeches, present at events and conferences, chair and participate in panels, and take part in media interviews. Topics have centred around youth unemployment, career progression, career-changing for the over 40s, female entrepreneurship, leadership and management, and of late has supported HR professionals to have open conversations about race with their employees.
Arit is the recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Precious Awards), Business Person of the Year (Newham Chamber of Commerce). She was recognised as a Leader in Media and Arts by the Black British Business Awards.
Prior to founding DiVA Arit spearheaded the design and delivery of high-end internship scheme the Graduate Fellowship Programme connecting talent from the Black, Asian, Minority and Ethnic communities to paid internships in top media companies. She holds an MA in Producing from the National Film and TV school, the best-reputed film academy in Europe and worked with the UK Film Council (now part of the BFI) supporting new talent in the development of feature projects.
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