How to create a gold-tier early careers strategy

How do you create an award-winning early-careers strategy that focuses on building home-grown apprentices into a diverse workforce? Well, you can start off by talking to Unifrog.

Unifrog partners with employers to bring live world-of-work opportunities and apprenticeships directly to our 1.7 million student users. We also work with employers to create bespoke workshops, online courses, in-person events, and webinars that support students in finding the best next steps for them, while also helping our partners to meet their early careers and outreach goals.

At the In-house Recruitment Awards this year, we sponsored the Early Careers Initiative Award – given to organisations committed to helping young people get a head-start in their careers.

The winners? Mediabrands UK with their three-pronged approach to getting students ready for a career in media.

So, what did they do that was so effective in building their early talent pipeline? Gemma Appleford, Talent Acquisition Business Partner (Early Careers), filled us in:And just what makes their apprentices so successful in developing their skills and preparing for their future roles?

Gemma makes sure that every apprentice at Mediabrands UK has the following:

• A Teams network, where they can get to know each other to build their social circle at work and have people their own age to spend time with.
• A mentoring programme and 1-1s with Gemma so they can be guided into their permanent future roles.
• 1-1s with their training provider and with their line manager (who has to complete a training programme on managing an apprentice).

With all this support and dedication, it’s no surprise Mediabrands UK took home the trophy!

We also spoke to some of our runner-ups to find out what they’ve been doing to earn their nomination:

Kate Bailey, Early Careers Recruitment Manager, Northern Europe, Mondelez:

What are some of the highlights or unique features of your early careers strategy?How do you support your apprentices to develop their skills and prepare for future roles within your organisation?

Frances Bennett, Resourcing Manager, Burges Salmon:

What’s been your biggest success in creating a top-notch early careers strategy?How have you overcome the biggest issues your company faces in recruiting and retaining early talent?

Natasha Hodson, Talent Lead, Kraken Flex/Octopus Energy:

What have you done to successfully create a more diverse team through your early careers strategy?What do you do to support junior team members?

Looking for support building your early careers pipeline, increasing the diversity of your applications, and connecting with 1.7 million students in the Unifrog network?

Head over to our employer page to learn more, or get in touch with us here.