McCann Advertising

Rebecca Philbin, Senior Talent Development Manager, discussed Apprenticeship Support at McCann advertising agency.

McCann has been working to develop alternative pathways into the advertising industry.  Its approach to apprenticeships has not been a large intake of rotational placements, but instead bringing people in at the point of need on a full-time permanent basis. The intention is to give more than a qualification but support a career afterwards.

This has required an in-house coordinator (within a large organisation) working with a small group of regional apprenticeship partners who can provide deep technical and business skills (e.g. HR and finance) relevant to the sector. Since 2019, McCann has supported a mix of people including career changers and those up/re-skilling (Level 3 & 4 apprenticeships).

McCann has also run a successful Kickstarter programme for several years. Education and engagement were critical as people often lacked understanding in terms of what the sector does and the skills needed. Alongside working with local authorities, they attended local jobs centres and connected with people on a level footing. It has resulted in 10 kickstart interns who were at risk of long-term unemployment, that have since gone into apprenticeships and full-time roles.