Talk to the business community and one of the issues that comes up again and again as an inhibitor to growth is attracting the skills they need to power their development.
As a service-based business that relies on the expertise of our team to keep our clients happy, we know that having talented people is the only way we can continue to thrive and serve our clients effectively. So, developing future skills is paramount to ensure the sustainability of our business and our clients’ organisations too.
I’m proud to have grown my career in my home-city of Sunderland – born, raised and studying here, I want to be part of a buoyant business community that affords future generations attractive and rewarding jobs in Sunderland.
As vice chair of Education Partnership North East – a significant provider of Further and Higher Education in England and the largest Further Education College Group in the North East with over 14,000 students enrolled on full or part time programmes – I meet with dozens of students developing the skills they need to enter workplaces in this region, and with the right input from industry, they have the innovation, work ethic and talent to really drive the economy…. But it’s not just down to colleges. Businesses have a key role to play in supporting education providers to shape the training that’s relevant and responsive to its needs now and in the future.
That’s why we’re doing our bit to ensure we shape future talent at Creo Comms. Thanks to a unique partnership with the University of Sunderland, we not only play a role in addressing skills challenges for creative businesses, we also support ambitious North East firms and organisations to grow too.
Last year, in collaboration with the University of Sunderland – where I studied for my own degree nearly 20 years ago – we launched Sunderland Creatives Agency. Tapping into a skilled student base, we are now offering a range of creative services – from design to videography and social media to photography – powered by the fresh, raw talent of undergraduates studying a range of courses.
We work with clients to support them in defining a clear brief for work, that we then share with our student cohort to identify the best placed person to take on the project. From there, we “hold their hand”, with Creo’s in-house team – made up of experts in each respective discipline – working with the students to develop creative outputs that meet the brief.
In the short time we’ve been running Sunderland Creatives Agency, we have developed a brilliant client base including Stack Seaburn, Red Sky Foundation, South Tyneside and Sunderland Foundation Trust and Sunderland Business Improvement District (BID), engaging more than 50 students in the process.
They have undertaken everything from photoshoots to video production and campaign designs to brand development briefs.
What has been most exciting about the project is to see the growth in the confidence of the student team engaged on projects. Many come into the office for the first time feeling very apprehensive, but under the guidance of the Creo team, they hone their skills, working to real client briefs and getting a taste of life in a busy creative agency environment. This – in tandem with their studies at the university – absolutely readies them for work, ensuring they gain the practical and life skills they need to succeed.
So, for businesses looking to play their part in growing the skills of creatives in the North East, one easy way to support is by engaging our fantastic student-led agency. Only by proactively playing a part, can we ensure that this region remains skills-rich and able to sustain the brilliant businesses that call it home.
