Multi-award-winning Manchester-based digital marketing apprenticeship programme, The Juice Academy, has launched a new online course for apprentices outside of the North West for the first time.
Designed to support businesses as they face the challenges of adapting business models, moving services online and increasing their adoption of technology due to the impact of Covid-19, The Juice Academy’s new remote-learning offering aims to equip apprentices with the strategic social media and practical content creation skills needed to aid a business’s future competitiveness.
Young people across the UK are also feeling the effects of the coronavirus, from rising unemployment rates, to fewer job opportunities and the cancellation of careers eventsl. The Juice Academy’s new digital delivery aims to intervene and provide access to essential skills.
Juice Academy founder and chair, Sandy Lindsay MBE, said: “The Juice Academy has created over 350 jobs for young people since 2013 and, due to the classroom-based teaching model we adopted, we’ve been focused up until this point in supporting businesses and apprentices in the North West.
“Over the years, we’ve often had employers from other cities ask if they could place an apprentice with us. Since the advent of Covid-19, we’ve found that our tutors and apprentices are more than comfortable delivering and accessing their classes via online platforms. As such, we are now confident that a remote course is not only possible but essential as part of our commitment to creating jobs for young people.”
The apprenticeship is a Junior Content Producer Level 3 Standard, which covers content planning, development, creation and evaluation for digital platforms and lasts approximately 15 months. The Academy can help employers recruit and vet a new apprentice or employers can place current members of staff on the programme free of charge*.
“With many employers looking to unfurlough current employees between now and October, but uncertain about roles, this could be the solution,” Sandy continued. “The Juice Academy can reskill employees for a new digital marketing role, which could be especially useful now as, for many brands, online presence will be key to recovery.”
The Academy’s USP is that all training is delivered by practicing specialists from The Academy’s sister business, Tangerine Communications, as well as specialist sectoral guest lecturers, which ensures that it is 100% current and relevant; an essential ingredient for a digital marketing course.
The Juice Academy is a not for profit organisation, which was set up to fill a digital skills gap and create quality roles in digital marketing/social media for young people. It has created over 350 jobs in top North West firms since its creation seven years ago and takes in a new cohort every quarter. The first remote intake will be placed in mid-September and employers and young people can visit: www.juiceacademy.co.uk to apply to be part of it.
Employers are required to pay a minimum salary to the apprentice of £10,000 for the first 12 months and National Living Wage for the remainder of the course. Apprentices will take part in the course online, with the exception of three full days of interactive, practical classes in Manchester during the first year. More details about the programme, including *training costs for levy paying employers can be found on the website.
