Newcastle University students’ union launches new platform into industry for final year students

This autumn, Newcastle University Students’ Union (NUSU) is launching its first ‘Professional Marketing Academy’, a programme aimed at final year students in partnership with two of the North East’s fastest growing marketing agencies.

Supported by O Communications and Mediaworks, the dual-module programme has been created to improve employability for graduates and provide students with practical preparation and skills for the professional marketing world over 20 weeks.

The Professional Marketing Academy, which is split into two modules involving voluntary and paid internship placements, will see students work with the NUSU marketing department to deliver a variety of multichannel campaigns.

NUSU director of digital and communications Jonathan Sabarre, said: “At NUSU, we offer a wealth of opportunities for existing students to develop their skills and expertise through paid and voluntary work with volunteers and industry professionals.

“The launch of the Professional Marketing Academy, powered by our prestigious university, is an exciting opportunity for those looking to pursue a career in marketing and hoping to equip themselves with the necessary digital platform skills and industry knowledge.”

Workshops will be delivered by NUSU, O and Mediaworks in a mix of environments, where students will get hands-on experience with organic social media, Facebook advertising, email marketing and segmentation, public relations and search engine optimisation.

O is an integrated PR, social and creative content agency that has won over 50 industry awards for delivering great work in the last 12 years. Founded in 2005 as a homegrown agency, O has worked with some of the best-known brand names in the UK from Northumbrian Water to Dr. Martens.

Kari Owers, managing director of O, said: “We run a successful ‘O’pprentice programme that has seen young talent come into our agency while they study, because we know how important it is for undergraduates to gain real experience on live client projects within an industry setting before they decide what direction to take when they complete their studies.

“The launch of the Professional Marketing Academy provides the perfect platform to bridge these two career stages, arming students with practical skills and know-how they will ultimately be applying in their future professional lives.”

As a certified Google Premier Partner, Mediaworks’ commitment to digital and dedication to client campaigns has attracted global recognition and a host of industry awards. Established in 2007, the digital marketing agency has continued to scale up during the past 10 years from their Newcastle headquarters, featuring an ever-growing client portfolio from SMEs to large, multi-national blue-chip organisations.

Brett Jacobson, managing director of Mediaworks, said: “We have developed a bespoke training programme and have structured the business in a way that allows us to recruit candidates and train them up to be highly-skilled in all aspects of digital marketing.

“The launch of the Professional Marketing Academy will be a great opportunity for the students, gaining key practical skills and providing them with a key understanding of their future profession.”

Students involved in the initiative will also receive a full year’s Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) membership.

Applications for the Professional Marketing Academy are now open with the first sessions of the academy beginning in November. For more information, visit www.professionalmarketingacademy.co.uk.