Marketing academy aims to tackle youth unemployment
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The initiative, due to launch in January, is the brainchild of Edinburgh-based sales coaching specialist Klozers, Glasgow digital marketing agency fatBuzz and Perthshire marketing and creative outfit Genoa Black.
The free programme aims to support businesses in raising the skills of young people in the industry, and will train 100 graduates each year.
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Hide AdGenoa Black managing director Claire Kinloch told The Scotsman: “From our perspective, talent development is a really core part of our proposition and development of the business, and personally, from my own perspective as a business-owner, I want to make sure that graduates are given the very best opportunities of finding secure career opportunities but also that they’re actually supported within the workplace.”
Kinloch said the programme would complement in-house working, allowing graduates to progress at a far greater speed and getting a “really rounded level of insight, experience and training” as well as developing people skills.
Klozers director Iain Swanston added: “We are passionate about investing in the next generation of industry experts and with youth unemployment figures on the rise in Scotland, we sought a long-term solution to this issue.
“The academy is a great way for graduates to gain first-hand advice and training across a range of disciplines. This will support their own personal skills development, whilst supporting businesses with sales and marketing best practice.”
The 12-month course, which is open to any business north of the Border, is sponsored by Royal Bank of Scotland and will be run in conjunction with Scottish Enterprise’s ScotGrad programme, with sessions taking place at RBS’s facilities at St Vincent Street in Glasgow.
ScotGrad programme manager Cameron Scott said: “We recognise the need for this academy and will encourage participation from our ScotGrad employers and graduates.”
Yvonne Greeves, enterprise manager at RBS, added: “This is a great example of businesses and organisations working together to develop these opportunities and we are proud to be able to use our resources – including our buildings – to give others a chance.”