A North East brand, marketing and digital transformation agency has affirmed its commitment to nurturing the talent of the future by embarking on a new internship scheme in partnership with Newcastle University.
Vida Creative has joined forces with the university’s Careers Service to be a partner in its NCL Internships programme.
As part of the scheme, Vida Creative has appointed Jay Barber as the newest member of its team.
Barber, who is currently studying a Masters Degree in International Marketing at Newcastle University, will work with Vida for a total of 300 hours over the summer as part of the programme.
“I’ve been really enjoying putting the concepts that I’ve been taught into practice, and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know about what clients Vida work with, because it’s such an interesting range of people and businesses,” Barber said.
“It’s great to get out of the lecture hall and actually see what it’s really like to work in whatever field you are studying, because it can be so different to what you’re taught. And it’s a good way to figure out what your actual skills are, what sort of things you want to do.”
Having studied English Language at undergraduate level, Barber aspires to work in a marketing role within publishing, and is keen to make the most out of this valuable agency experience.
“For me, at least 50% of uni is what you make of it outside the classroom, whether it’s volunteering, sports, societies or part-time jobs,” Barber continued. “It makes sense to see what’s out there in terms of internships, because when else are you going to get the chance to spend a few weeks working in a school or with a company or on a farm or whatever else is offered?”
Newcastle University Careers Service has funding available to North East companies like Vida Creative to subsidise internships and provide valuable experience for students as well as supporting local businesses.
Ellen Hedley, co-founder of Vida Creative, added: “It is fantastic to be partnering with Newcastle University on this initiative to support emerging talent.
“At Vida we are committed to nurturing our people at all levels, so to have Jay with us putting her academic learning into industry practice is brilliant.”
