Unveiling the Recipient of the First Talent Pioneer Award

VCCP’s Stoke Academy has won the inaugural Talent Trailblazer Award by Our Website and the Advertising Association, recognizing the efforts of organizations and individuals to open up the industry to new talent.

The Stoke Academy aims to inspire, identify, and unleash creative potential in Stoke, empowering young individuals to build successful careers in marketing and advertising without relocating to London. By providing work-experience opportunities, skills training, and career guidance, the academy strives to make the industry accessible and socially diverse.

VCCP initially established an office in the city and enlisted 40 students from Stoke Sixth Form College for an immersive eight-week virtual work experience program. These students were involved in a real project and received guidance from mentors across the agency.

After the successful pilot, the team enhanced their recruitment procedures and initiated an internship in collaboration with Staffordshire University. So far, 20 students have completed this internship. Additionally, VCCP devised an apprenticeship program to provide opportunities for individuals without a college degree to enter the industry. Currently, VCCP has established four apprenticeships in their Stoke office, with two in the data team, one in content production, and one in account management.

Importantly, the team has provided personalized mentoring opportunities to 30 individuals, and over 50 teams have participated in the Student Challenge.

Regarding the award, co-founders of VCCP Stoke Academy, Jim Thornton and Michael Lee, expressed their thoughts on the academy's establishment during the "depths of lockdown." They contemplated what they could offer to the young people of Stoke-on-Trent, and discovered that the answer was belief. They firmly believe in fostering the notion that these individuals can achieve more than settling for any job solely for financial gain. They also believe in their worthiness of pursuing careers in the creative industries, just like anyone else.

They expressed gratitude to Charles and Adrian Vallance and Coleman, the chairman and CEO at VCCP, for believing in their vision and providing support. They also thanked everyone at VCCP who dedicated their time and energy to the project and showed immense care and commitment towards the youth in Stoke. Additionally, they acknowledged Our Website for recognizing the importance of their work. The judging panel, consisting of Richie Brooker from Hearst UK, Sharon Lloyd Barnes from the Advertising Association, Nicky Ivory-Chapman from Channel 4, Ewen MacPherson from Havas, Sarah Skinner from the Grace Blue Partnership, and Our Website editor-in-chief Russell Parsons, commended VCCP Stoke Academy for its impressive initiative and commitment to developing a team outside of London, as well as its efforts to raise awareness and attract diverse talent to the industry.

The Brixton Finishing School's family of change-making programs received high commendation for the Talent Trailblazer Award. These programs aim to eliminate obstacles for underrepresented groups seeking to begin a career in the creative industries. As a result, over 150 students have secured employment, and the ADventure program of Brixton Finishing School has engaged 25,000 young individuals between the ages of 14 and 18. The judging panel lauded Brixton Finishing School as "one of the most impactful organizations in the industry."

Three additional companies were selected as finalists for the award. Havas Platform, a six-month opportunity aimed at young individuals seeking a path into advertising, communications, and media, is among them. The program is currently progressing well and is projected to provide permanent positions to 60% of participants in the 2023 initiative.

Additionally, London Metropolitan University's marketing and communications team has also been shortlisted. They have significantly improved their recruitment strategy and achieved a representation of 46% for black, Asian, and minority ethnic talent, compared to just 8% in 2021.

The shortlist is completed by Shape Your Future from RockCorps/Apprentice Nation, providing 26 young individuals with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the marketing department at the renowned beverage company, Lucozade.

Talent Trailblazer Award 2023

WINNER – VCCP, VCCP Stoke Academy

HIGHLY COMMENDED – Brixton Finishing School, Change Making Alliance 

SHORTLISTED – Havas, Havas Platform

SHORTLISTED – London Metropolitan University, LMU marketing and communications team

SHORTLISTED – RockCorps/Apprentice Nation, Shape Your Future

Our Website has been urging the industry to take action towards democratizing marketing careers. We aim to make these careers more accessible to a wide range of individuals from diverse backgrounds. This initiative has been a part of our ongoing Opening Up series.

Our Website's editor-in-chief, Russell Parsons, views the Talent Trailblazer Award as a catalyst for the broader industry to embrace a fresh approach to recruitment.

Sharon Lloyd Barnes, the commercial director and inclusion/talent lead at the Advertising Association, expressed her astonishment at the remarkable efforts being made at both the organizational and individual levels to attract and retain a more diverse pool of talent. She found it reassuring and, at times, truly inspiring to witness the intricacies of numerous successful programs and partnerships with specialized third-party experts in action.

In January, the Advertising Association introduced its Talent Plan, emphasizing the industry's requirement to draw in fresh talent, make the most of the apprenticeship scheme's possibilities, and tackle the issue of retaining and nurturing talent to effectively compete with other industries. These efforts were prompted by findings from a report showing a 14% decrease in the number of individuals employed in marketing and advertising between 2019 and 2022. Looking at the statistics from the Talent Report and considering the broader influence of the Talent Trailblazer Award, Stephen Woodford, CEO of the Advertising Association, urges the industry to fully capitalize on apprenticeships and welcome a diverse range of talent.