Children\'s Brand, Marketing and PR Trainee

Overview

The Scheme is for voices we want to hear more of in publishing. Could yours be one of them?
Make your mark by spending six months between January – July 2026 working with the best at the number one publisher in the UK. You’ll immerse yourself within one of our key business areas, learning the ropes, taking ownership of projects and contributing to our mission to make books for everyone.

Whatever team you’re placed with, you’ll gain universally applicable skills that will equip you for wherever you go next. We’ll teach you about all publishing and Penguin, and support you to make the next steps in your career journey.

The Scheme is for people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. If you meet this eligibility criteria but perhaps you’re changing careers, don’t have a degree, or haven’t often seen yourself reflected in publishing, we’d love you to apply! Whatever your gender, background, or community, we want to hear your story.

Training Details

All trainees are paid £25,500 per annum (equivalent to £12,750 for the six months of the traineeship). We also offer a travel bursary for those commuting from outside of London.

Penguin Random House Children’s are the UK’s no.1 children’s publisher, home to Puffin and Ladybird, and some of the most recognised entertainment brands and authors. Our mission is to publish a book for every child, everywhere, as we believe the right book can inspire a child to feel they can be and do anything.

Role Responsibilities

• Support an extensive schools strategy and events programme as part of the National Year of Reading 2026.
• Help organise in‑person and virtual author events and engagement activities with schools.
• Support the production of a regular Puffin Schools newsletter and create and update Puffin Schools website pages and resources.
• Get involved with our Social Impact team’s work, including author events for our Libraries for Primaries initiative.

Eligibility Criteria

You’ll need to have a pre‑existing right to work in the UK for the duration of the traineeship as we are not able to offer visa sponsorship. You don’t need a degree, you just need to be over 18.

To achieve our mission, we are seeking out new voices from lower socio‑economic backgrounds. To apply, identify as from a lower socio‑economic background measured by the Social Mobility Commission using parental occupation at age 14. The categories are:

• Technical and craft occupations such as motor mechanic, plumber, printer, electrician, gardener, train driver.
• Routine, semi‑routine manual and service occupations such as postal worker, machine operative, security guard, caretaker, farm worker, catering assistant, sales assistant, HGV driver, cleaner, porter, packer, labourer, waiter or waitress, bar staff.
• Unemployed (claimed Jobseeker’s Allowance or earlier unemployment benefit for more than a year).