Member Article

Social Enterprise Secures £500k Worth of Jobs

A Liverpool social enterprise dedicated to developing young creative and digital talent has just published its first set of figures, revealing that over half a million pounds in salaries have been generated within Liverpool City Region (LCR) in the first two years.

Agent Academy CIC, founded in 2014, has worked with 31 young people across three programmes. 90% of Agent Academy CIC graduates are now in full-time employment within the creative and digital sectors, amounting to £511k of annual salaries being generated into the local economy.

Agent Academy CIC participants have gone on to secure jobs at leading Liverpool organisations including Capital FM, Liverpool Life Sciences UTC, Edge Hill University, Liverpool Clinical Laboratories, Open Messenger and DaDa Fest.

Earlier this year a report from Centre for Cities (http://www.centreforcities.org/publication/cities-outlook-2016/), an independent think tank, revealed that a mere 61.2% of LCR residents are in employment, trailing far behind the national average for UK’s largest towns and cities which stands at 72.9%. Agent Academy CIC is responding to this by preparing the city’s young talent for creative and digital careers, and providing them with an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the industry.

Zoe Wallace, head of Agent Academy CIC, said:

“Agent Academy CIC was set up to develop young talent so that they are ready to hit the ground running in meaningful careers. The creative and digital industries are growing rapidly, and it’s vital that young people are skilled and ready for the opportunities that await them.

“This is why the employment rate post-programme is so successful – we encourage our students to be innovators and creative thinkers.

“It’s important to nurture the region’s young people and make sure they know that there are booming industries and valuable job opportunities right here in Liverpool, not just in the capital.”

The 12-week programme for young people aged 16-25 was set up to bridge the growing gap between education and employment, as well as reducing the need for unpaid internships, which many young people in Liverpool simply can’t afford to do.

During the programme, students are motivated through first-hand experiences with industry leaders whilst working throughout to complete a real-life marketing challenge set by a client. They leave Agent Academy CIC equipped with the skills, knowledge and network to secure jobs in the creative and digital industries.

Agent Academy CIC, based in the Baltic Triangle, has just embarked on its fourth programme. It is also delivering industry training to schools and universities. If you would like to contribute to the programme as a business, or a young person who wants to find out more, head to www.agentacademy.org.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jeanette Gill .