Newcastle students launch new marketing platform for undergraduates

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 region’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. Founded in 2005 as a homegrown agency, O has worked with some big UK names from Northumbrian Water to Dr. Martens.

Kari Owers, managing director of O, added: “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.

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