Member Article

Agents get a CIC out of training young marketers

Agent Marketing has launched a new social enterprise; Agent Academy CIC – a community interest company designed to help young people enter the marketing industry.

Agent, which has offices in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle and London’s Hoxton, has worked with a range of industry leaders to co-create the sister enterprise.

The full service marketing agency, which celebrated its 8th anniversary in May 2014, is looking to recruit 10 young people from across the Liverpool city region to take part in this, the first innovative training programme.

Agent Academy CIC is the first of its kind in Liverpool and, indeed, the country. The programme, which will run up to four times per year, will allow specially-selected students the chance to take part in a curriculum designed to combine hands-on experience and action-based learning.

Agent Academy CIC is a social enterprise, therefore the programmes are fully funded with investment coming from Agent Marketing’s profits.

The ten-week programme aims to educate students on the fundamentals of marketing and expose them to a whole host of expert witnesses and leaders from different sectors, industries and backgrounds.

Students will also tour a number of key organisations across the wider city region, aiding their development and helping them expand networks.

Managing director of Agent Marketing, Paul Corcoran, said:“Agent is very much a value-led business – we always make sure we are doing more than our fair share to benefit the communities we work with and within.

“Agent Academy CIC has grown out of a need to give young people who can’t afford to go to University, or those who have been to University and need commercial skills, an unrivalled opportunity to get into the communications industry.

“This is not an internship, nor is it work experience or a placement – this is a programme designed by marketers for the next generation of marketers, and we can’t wait to see the results.”

So far, the initiative has garnered support from a wide range of leaders both in Liverpool and London.

Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said: “Agent Academy CIC is a fantastic initiative by Agent Marketing. Our young people deserve to be given the best chances at life – the experience they will gain through this academy will be invaluable when it comes to them moving forward in their future careers.”

Jenny Stewart, chief executive of Liverpool & Sefton Chambers of Commerce: “Our young people are our future. They are good for business. It’s great to see initiatives like this which give real life experience in the world of work. Well done to Agent Academy for being the first in the city.”

Paul Corcoran added: “Every business has a responsibility to do good; not because they have to but because they actually want to, and that’s exactly where we are coming from. We’re incredibly excited to run our first programme and really looking forward to the future potential of Agent Academy CIC.

“We want businesses to get involved too. At the end of the programme, students of Agent Academy will take part in their own graduation; a celebration event which will showcase their learning, developed skills and character to a whole host of local businesses and organisations, with the potential of securing future employment or training”.

Agent Academy is now calling for young people or local businesses who want to get involved in the first programme which starts in October, 2014. To find out more please visit www.agentacademy.org.uk, email tom@agentacademy.org.uk or head to Twitter and follow @Agent_Academy.

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