Brixton Finishing School presents The AD-Cademy

The industry is vast - whatever you are passionate about there is potentially a role that will suit your talents. Many entry-level roles are vocations - no prior experience or degree is needed. It’s also very well paid with excellent benefits and progression prospects.

Created by industry experts, the course supports fresh talent into paid placements and roles.

It is curated by Brixton Finishing School, an award-winning employability project with outstanding success in placing talent from ‘underrepresented’ backgrounds into jobs at big name organisations.

We work to dismantle systemic barriers to entry, including race, class and location. For too long the industry has been ‘lopsided’ - dominated by a single type of voice (white, male, privately educated, from the South East of England). We seek to create balance by building an alternative route to success. The AD-Cademy is that route.

The work we produce is only as good as the people we employ. We need you to thrive. We have a host of industry partners who wish to support your development so you thrive too.

To find out more and register, visit https://www.theadcademy.org/

In addition to The AD-Cademy, we are now in year six of Brixton Finishing School, our free course that disrupts the way the creative and digital industries recruit talent.

We prepare our students for a pool of entry-level roles available just for them or for jobs in the wider industry by delivering creative and digital skills and real-world advertising experiences.

Our ten-week course, taking place from July to September, blends workplace experiences and multiple expert masterclasses with digital marketing and training in winning office behaviours.

Our industry sponsors include brands, agencies and media companies such as KFC, Adam&Eve, Mother, Clear Channel and Mail Metro Media, to namecheck just a few. Together, we help create a pool of entry-level roles just for graduates of the course.

Join our Class of 2021 https://brixtonfinishingschool.org/

And not forgetting those of you that are in secondary school but keen to enjoy a virtual taster of our industry – we are delighted to be offering #Adland Virtual Work Experience week this July 2021, in partnership with Speakers for Schools.

And finally….a note to our industry friends: The time for talking is over – make 2021 our industry’s Year of Change

2021 is our industry's 'Year of Change'. The time for talking is over - we can no longer be complicit in glacially paced D&I micro improvements. The need to include all talents is urgent. We must act assertively to deconstruct the barriers to entry for those traditionally 'underserved' by our industry. Covid-19 has devastated young futures, especially those from groups systemically challenged by our structures. The 1100 + sign ups to The AD-Cademy – gained in less than two months - demonstrate how we can create an appetite for roles amongst diverse talent outside of our ecosystem. Now is the time to act and invest in the change to future proof all our outcomes.

To join us on our mission to level the playing field for talent, please get in touch with us via info@brixtonfinishingschool.org

The Creative Salon is committed to dedicating a minimum 10 per cent of our profits to supporting organisations and groups that nurture young people into our industry. Our partner for the first year will be the Brixton Finishing School.