Sixteen companies – including Unlimited, Elvis, Red Brick Road, Lucky Generals and The Marketing Store – have now signed up to the diversity-focused Marketing Debuts apprenticeship scheme, designed to attract people within minority and low social mobility groups to the industry.
Launched in September by The Industry Club, the scheme is offering 14 students the chance to take their first steps in a career in advertising and marketing.
The new recruits will begin on January 11 2021 with a two-week boot camp hosted by Marketing Debuts and government regulated apprenticeship provider The Opportunity Group.
They will then take part in a series of exercises and presentations focusing on team working, resilience, self-belief, virtual working, self-management and more. Following the boot camp, the apprentices will join their new employers to start training in their chosen apprenticeship programme.
Those signed up to new apprentices in the Creative Project Management and Social Media and Community Management programmes are: Adam & Eve DDB, Red Brick Road, Lucky Generals, Unlimited, 33 Seconds, Big Brand Ideas, Elvis, Generation Success, Havas Lynx, Leagas Delaney, Mando, Seven Six, Wilderness Agency, The Marketing Store, TRO (Omnicom), and Brandstand Communications.
Wilderness Agency operations and people director Tilly Morgan said: “Marketing Debuts… is a step in the right direction towards recognising that the creative industries will be stronger when they value the contributions of all individuals in society.”
Industry Club founder and managing director Melissa Smith added: “In a year when working life has been turned upside down it’s amazing to see these great agencies uphold their commitment to diversity and inclusion. We’re delighted with the industry’s response to the inaugural Marketing Debuts scheme and can’t wait to follow the progress of what is a diverse, talented and enthusiastic first cohort.”
As well as bringing new people into the industry, several agencies are also moving a total of 18 existing employees into the Marketing Debuts scheme, bringing the total cohort to 32 apprentices.
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