Tag: Citizens UK

Tia-Nicole Knight took part in the FastForward programme last year and is now an intern at OMD. One of her highlights was finding out about cookies and how they support websites. Before she started the course she had only heard of the cookies you eat. We sat down with Tina-Nicole to find out more about her FastForward experience.

How did you get involved in the FastForward programme and why did it appeal to you?

Last year, OMD and Citizens UK came to present at my college. At first, the programme didn’t appeal to me as I was studying creative media rather than digital. I thought it might be too technical for my skillset, but I soon realised it was a great opportunity. After completing my application form and successfully passing a group interview, I was invited to JP Morgan’s offices. This is where we were told what we would be covering over the next six months and nine sessions.

Did you find it challenging with your existing studies?

During the 6 months, I managed to keep up with all my studies, except for one session. Fortunately, the other students shared notes, so I was able to catch up quickly.

Which part of the course did you like most?

My favourite session was on ‘Data Handling’ where I learnt how to target audiences using a tool called TGI. I really enjoyed this as we had to create a story around the data.  My group came up with an INSANE idea with widows, betrayal, death, murder, partying, laughter, sadness and cleaning products! Everyone laughed when we presented, but we still managed to show that we understood the concept.

From the sessions, what did you learn that surprised you?

When I first heard about coding, I started thinking ‘woah this must be like, what hackers do’. I thought there was going to be an overload of knowledge throughout the session. However, it was explained so clearly that in the end I had a semi-clear idea of what it was. I still struggle to understand it fully, but it’s really complex!

What advice would you give to others thinking of participating in the FastForward programme?

Be yourself! Anyone can get experience, be punctual and show up for sessions. But, it’s your personality and unique qualities that are hard to find. Show that you stand out from the crowd with your creativity and other skills!

Interested in knowing more? Explore recent FastForward updates here. You can also find out more about life at OMD with #OMDLife

The UK needs 1.5M new recruits in the Tech, Digital, Health, Engineering and Creative industries by 2020.

Since July 2015, Good Jobs Campaign has worked to address both a growing skills gap and increasing issues of social mobility. OMD now joins the campaign as a principle partner to bridge the opportunity gap between companies looking for diverse talent and talented young people in disadvantaged areas, struggling to get a foot in the door.

After months of planning with Citizens UK, the people behind the Good Jobs Campaign, we are proud to kick off our six month ‘Fast Forward’ Digital and Technology training programme. We presented together to over 150 teachers and students from five local Greater London colleges and have identified  43 successful candidates to join the course.

Tracy Whamond, Head of People at OMD says, “working with these students is a really great chance to cultivate and encourage them into the world of digital media, while allowing us, as a company, to follow through on our commitments around CSR. Our continued aim is to build long-term relationships in the community and ensure diversity in our future workplaces.”

With a team of 20 OMD volunteers, the course will aim to develop, nurture and mentor these students to give them invaluable digital communications and technology skills. We are also planning to offer a 12 month paid internship here at OMD to a number of the students at the end of the programme – which we look forward to starting in September 2016.

If you’d like to find out more about any of the above please contact – [email protected]