Dentsu becomes the first company to offer all early career hires apprenticeship training
Japanese holding company Dentsu has become the first company to adopt an ‘apprenticeships by default’ talent strategy, offering all early career hires apprenticeship training, hoping to mitigate the need for higher education qualifications.
Staff across the business will also be invited to enroll on programs
The program, called the Digital Business Accelerator, will be mandatory for new staff in entry-level roles.
The Digital Business Accelerator program will ensure that all new hires receive formal training in the core skills necessary to thrive in a digital business world, combining creating content with one-to-one coaching in areas such as project management, problem-solving and communication.
In recognition of the increasing importance of data and digital skills, the program will also focus on delivering these key competencies such as analytics and data storytelling to apprentices. Upon completion, apprentices will earn the Data Technician Level 3 qualification.
The 13-month program will be delivered by edtech startup Multiverse, and 100 apprentices will join the first intake.
The new initiative aims to enable Dentsu to hire candidates both with and without university degrees, as all receive the same high-quality training over the first 15 months of their role. It will also be key to driving Dentsu’s data-centric approach, while enabling the agency to continue attracting diverse talent.
Les Marshall, head of talent and leadership at Dentsu UK&I, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Multiverse on the Digital Business Accelerator. The development and engagement of our talent has never been more important, and this program will enable our early careers talent to hit the ground running in their new roles.
“It’s also important to us from a diversity, equity and inclusion perspective that we provide a level playing field for new hires from a range of different backgrounds. With the Digital Business Accelerator in place, we’re sure that participants will have a fulfilling start to their exciting careers with Dentsu.”
However, the scheme will not only be offered to entry-level workers, as staff across the business will be invited to enrol on programs.
Over 100 existing employees across various seniority levels at Dentsu are already on apprenticeships, undergoing formal data training, making Multiverse a critical business partner in Dentsu’s drive for increased data capability.