Member Article

Barclays back social media apprenticeships

Apprentices could add £4.4billion to the UK economy every year if companies conformed to best practice, say business experts.

According to a study by Barclays, the UK would reap the benefits if industries were to raise the proportion of apprentices in their workforce to 2.2 per cent – the same proportion as currently within administration and support services.

In addition to its own commitment to take on 2,000 apprentices by the end of 2015, Barclays has joined the advisory panel at The Juice Academy in Manchester, the UK’s first employer-led social media apprenticeship.

The panel includes a wide variety of industry experts, including Chris Sheffield, MD of Betfred.com, William Lees-Jones, MD of JW Lees, Amanda Coleman, head of corporate communications at Greater Manchester Police, and Scott Jefferson, marketing director at Pets at Home.

Joining the panel, David Parr from Barclays Corporate Banking in Manchester, said: “Apprenticeships are growing in profile, but we know there is potential for some industries to take on more and deliver dramatic benefit to both our economy and young people.

“Becoming a member of the advisory panel at The Juice Academy is an exciting opportunity for me and I look forward to working with the apprentices.”

Tangerine’s head of integrated and digital strategy, Anna Wilson, who is leading the programme, said: “On behalf of everyone at The Juice Academy, I’d like to welcome the Barclays team onto our panel of experts. We know the insight they will provide for our apprentices will be second-to-none.

“The panel is an integral part of the Academy - it allows us to keep our course content relevant as it responds to demand from various different industries and what they want from their apprentices. Much like us, Barclays is incredibly enthusiastic about the future of apprenticeships and the team will add a new dimension to our offer.”

The Juice Academy was launched in July to increase youth employment and fill an industry-wide skills gap by training young professionals in the practical application of social media.

Run by Tangerine PR at their headquarters in Castlefield, the year-long course includes a mixture of theoretical and work-place learning, covering all elements of social media management.

The Academy has placed 27 apprentices within North West businesses since the launch – including at Pets at Home, digital marketing company, Modern English, and recruitment firm, Core Talent - to learn ‘on the job’.

The Juice Academy is already welcoming applications from businesses and apprentices for its January intake, as the programme looks to grow further and welcome its third cohort.

John Myers, of the National Apprenticeship Service, added: “The Juice Academy provides an opportunity for young people to start a superb career path, building a valuable set of skills which are of genuine value to employers.”

As the practical part of the course, apprentices are placed within a North West business to gain vital ‘on the job’ experience.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .