Creative Break - the scheme that creates apprentice vacancies within the creative sector - is celebrating a successful year of service, to businesses in Greater Manchester, after reaching a landmark figure of 150 expressions of interest from creative employers looking to recruit apprentices.
Launched in Greater Manchester in June 2010, and in Merseyside just three months later, the scheme has been welcomed by both employers and apprentices. Over the last 12 months it has attracted close to 300 enquiries from apprentices, eager to start a career within the creative industry.
Sandy Lindsay, Group MD of Tangerine PR, who is leading the programme, said: “Creative Break’s first year business goal was to establish a successful apprenticeship programme for creative agencies in Greater Manchester and we not only achieved that objective, we exceeded it with the launch of Creative Break in Merseyside.
“Businesses have embraced the programme and the feedback we’ve been getting on the quality of the candidates has been very positive, with several employers offering their apprentices a permanent position.”
A partnership between public sector apprenticeship support organisations and Greater Manchester’s creative industries, Creative Break places bright and ambitious business administration apprentices into a mixture of sectors including advertising, marketing, digital, design and PR (both in-house and consultancy).
John Myers, regional employer services director for the National Apprenticeship Service, said: “We knew there was a gap in the market for Creative Break and anticipated that the scheme would be well received, but we never expected a response on this scale - the figures really do speak for themselves.
“It’s not just businesses that reap the benefits, the region as a whole will benefit as Apprenticeships unlock fresh talent, providing the Manchester and Liverpool labour markets with a steady flow of qualified, energetic and enthusiastic young people.”
Funded primarily by the North West Apprenticeship Company and supported by the National Apprenticeship Service and the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Creative Break apprentices will, as part of their apprenticeship, learn the essential administrative skills needed to thrive in a busy agency or marketing department.
Rachel Emson, managing director at Vivid Manchester, was the first employer to recruit an apprentice through the programme, a decision she insists has been of great value to the business.
She said: “Employing an apprentice has generated new ideas and fresh thinking and has allowed the organisation to become more efficient, with another pair of hands to help administer the day-to-day tasks, which means we’ve now got more time to concentrate on growing the business and boosting its productivity.”
Businesses that want to learn more about recruiting an apprentice through the Creative Break programme, or students who would like to register an interest in becoming an apprentice, please visit www.creativebreak,info.
