The cyber security industry has historically suffered from a significant gender and ethnicity gap. BT wanted to address that imbalance and also encourage people with different ways of thinking and perspectives (such as neurodiversity) to apply for its reskilling programme. To do this, it created a bespoke manager advocacy initiative that would send a positive message to all employees; that whatever your level in BT, you can learn new skills and grow your career.

The CAPSLOCK initiative, as it was known, provided a cyber security learning platform and accreditation for employees, and 30 were chosen from more than 200 applications in 2022. BT wanted to document employees’ experience of it in a social diary TV style. Ph. Creative came up with the idea of ‘117 days to become protectors’, a series of videos where participants shared the ups and downs of the learning process. Their videos were supported by an external communications plan and series of events.

After the success of the campaign in 2022, there were 1,200 applicants for the 30 places for the 2023 programme. And there were fantastic results for the participants too: all 30 graduated and all found employment within a BT cyber function. Due to the success of the campaign BT has now created a ‘Future Protectors’ version for its India colleagues that launched September 2023, and has already amassed hundreds of applications.