InPublishing: Brixton Finishing School launches ADcademy A-level results campaign

The ADcademy campaign - created in partnership with The Sun and Pulse Creative - coincides with A-Level results day on Thursday 17th August, and encourages underrepresented students to consider the potential of the creative, media and tech industries without the prerequisite of a degree.

The ADcademy is open to all 18-30 year olds nationwide who are from an ethnic minority, a working class background, or are neurodiverse. It's a mix of e-learning from the world's leading brands, agencies, tech and media owners, as well as virtual 'live' bootcamps. The training is free and comprises pre-recorded video content so participants can learn in their own time, around their existing jobs and responsibilities, added the publisher.

The publisher continued, the campaign will run across Clear Channel and JCDecaux OOH sites under the strapline: Amazing job with no degree. Result. It will also comprise a sequence of social videos, press executions, and digital display, all of which have been developed by Pulse Creative. The campaign’s social videos also feature Davis Boateng, a previous participant in one of the Brixton Finishing School’s programmes. His time on this scheme helped him land his current role as a junior agent at Studio Pi, an award-winning artist management and production agency.

The ADcademy has been pioneered by Brixton Finishing School, a social mobility engine which, over the last few years, has partnered with an array of relevant businesses to build an equitable superhighway into the creative, media and tech industries for underrepresented talent, upskilling them and providing access to real jobs at the end. BFS also supports their alumni in roles with mentorship and cultural change products so they thrive, not survive.

Ally Owen, founder and director, Brixton Finishing School, said: “A university-style education is now unaffordable for many talented and underrepresented young people. The ADcademy offers an award-winning (and free) route to roles in the marketing and advertising industry. All our content is made by leading industry employers who are also looking to recruit from our programmes so that talent from all backgrounds can help their businesses thrive.

“Not having a degree should not be a barrier to a successful, rewarding long term career. I’d like to thank The Sun, News UK, Pulse and all our media partners for supporting the ADcademy and providing inspiration to a new generation of potential.”

Paul Hood, director of business development, The Sun, said: “Brixton Finishing School’s recent Future Talent: Unwrapped report makes for stark reading. When they started the survey in 2019, 11% of respondents highlighted a lack of formal educational qualifications as a key barrier to entry. Fast forward three years and this has soared to 25%, with not being able to afford to study rising from 11% to 15%.

“The ADcademy is a brilliantly simple antidote to the barriers many underrepresented young people face when thinking about a career in the creative sectors. I’m delighted The Sun and News UK are able to play their small part in supporting the campaign.”

The publisher says Mail Metro Media, Clear Channel, JCDeacaux and Hearst are among other media brands supporting the ADcademy A-Level campaign.

Find out more about ADcademy here and Brixton Finishing School here.