SharpFutures, crucially aware of this, is offering interested candidates the chance to flourish in today’s career landscape where ‘CONTENT IS KING’.

The Social Enterprise, founded in 2011 and based at the world-renowned The Sharp Project, is more than living up to its name by looking to the future and offering a range of opportunities to candidates who are keen to pursue careers in this ever-evolving and dynamic sector.

The first is an online transition course for Creative Digital Content makers.  Supported by Fast Track Digital Workforce Fund, a joint venture between DCMS and GMCA the team at SharpFutures has created a bespoke course designed to suit the needs and adaptability required to make it as a short-form content creator.  The course begins in mid-August and runs for 12 weeks.

21-year-old digital content creator, Zain Sattar from Cheetham Hill has benefitted from his time at SharpFutures.

He says, “When I arrived at SharpFutures in 2018 I had a lot of interests but wasn’t really able to identify where they might lead in the future.  Before long however I was able to pursue new interests at the same time as working alongside the team and finding where I was best suited to be involved in the daily business of the company.  Since then I have become adept at Social Media and have run some of our Feeds but not only that – I have discovered a passion for photography which I am now able to pursue and blend into the mix of our work and the content we create for our clients.  I really would recommend this new course to anyone keen to thrive in the creative digital world “

In simplest terms it is about joining the dots and making sure that people are provided with the tools and methodologies to ensure that every message they put out into the world is the best version of itself that it can be.  So for example  – if your Twitter Skills are finely honed but you need to get your filmed footage to work in harmony and perhaps add a dash of graphic or animation magic into the mix this would be the ultimate place to start your journey towards future success.  

The course has been designed for candidates who already have some prior experience of content creation but who want to expand this to include other media.

The masterclasses and creative content briefs will be delivered by Ocean Outdoor UK whose Chief Marketing Officer Richard Malton says,

‘We are absolutely delighted to be working with SharpFutures on long-term skills and development for the Creative Digital industries. Greater Manchester is our biggest conurbation outside London. Renowned for creativity and innovation, the Manchester City-Region is top of our client list too and we have always invested heavily in advertising capacity in this significant locality.

The course creators hope that this might just be the start of a journey of self-discovery leading to a bright future in one of the most challenging and exciting employment sectors.

The second course SharpFutures has created, Digital Production Management (which runs for 8-16 weeks from mid-September) is a transition course for people with, for example, superb organisational or customer service skills from any sector.  It is designed to enable them to make the jump into the management of creative, digital and tech projects. Once again supported by Fast Track Digital Workforce Fund, a joint venture between DCMS and GMCA this bespoke course gives candidates a greater chance to gain work by reimagining and re-purposing the numerous skills that are always required and will never go out of fashion.

SharpFutures CEO, Rose Marley says, “People don’t realise how valuable their experience is and how easy it is to transfer skills from, for example, gaming to animation, theatre to television, construction to location management, engineering to tech.  It’s all about the language. If you’re on time and on budget the same project management principles apply but the mystifying language of grips, dojos, devs or grading, machine rooms and DITs put people off when they had the skills and capability all along.”

In both cases the journey for candidates, which is only a mouse-click away, could lead to immediate future employment as each graduate will be interviewed for the chance to join SharpFutures whose clients include  ITV, BBC, Cisco and a host of independent film, gaming and TV clients.  The flexibility and attitudes needed for  industry 4.0, the gig economy have all been amplified by the pandemic and it is never too late to become a part of this.

Digital Artist Louise Andrew who has 10 years experience in Theatre and TV and a further 19 years in the games industry is someone who well understands the value of developing and honing transferable skills.

She says, “With a degree in Fine Art, I’ve worked as an Artist my entire life, creating beautiful environments both for Digital Games as well as in Theatre and Television.  I have managed teams of over 40 artists from all disciplines – VFX, UI, Characters, Vehicles, Concepts and Technical Artists and been responsible for scheduling, delivering feedback, staff development and managing art resources.  I absolutely agree that there is a need for a course like the one being offered by SharpFutures.  We need to keep ourselves agile in today’s work environment and by embracing and developing our skills we can be truly open to see where this may lead us in the future.”

To apply to get involved couldn’t be easier. Simply click on the link and derails of both courses are available: https://sharpfutures.org.uk/digital-skills/

The courses can be completed remotely to fit into personal schedules and the team is especially keen to hear from candidates who might struggle to access the world of TV and the media.

A Manchester-based business has been shortlisted in a national competition revealing a snapshot of business during lockdown

The owner of a beauty business based in Whitefield, Manchester, has been shortlisted in a national competition which seeks to reveal how businesses have been faring during the coronavirus crisis.

Gemma Walker, founder of Quirk Botanicals, entered the PopUp Business School Summer Photo Challenge with a picture of herself enjoying some of her own products. She said: “I created Quirk Botanicals back in 2017 as a vegan and cruelty free beauty business.

“Quirk is all about embracing & celebrating natural beauty. All of my products are made with carefully selected ingredients and, of course, a lot of love.

“Currently, Quirk specialises in bath bombs, however I would love to expand the product line in the future, and I already have plans in place for this.

“I wanted to create a brand that was accessible, affordable but, most importantly, was inclusive to everyone, and I felt that I had the skillset and support from my family to do this. I initially trained as a Digital Marketing Assistant which helped with setting up the business as well.

“Vegan and cruelty-free beauty is something that I am fiercely passionate about, and I see Quirk as a chance to educate people on how easy it is to switch up our current beauty routines to something that is more sustainable and kinder to the planet.

“I was also spending way too much money at a certain high street store that also sells bath bombs, so my husband pushed me into making my own.

“As Quirk makes products that are intended for use on or around the skin, the manufacturing process was already strict before lockdown began, but I now make sure that I am the only one who handles the products, in line with government guidance, and I have made my followers on social media aware that postage may take longer.

“Otherwise, I have seen a marked improvement in my business, and I think this is partly due to the success of several virtual markets I have taken part in. These include the Handmade Hour market, the Makers Market from Home and the Chester Vegan Fair. I also have to thank my ever-enthusiastic followers, who have spread the word about my business and so have brought me a lot of new business.

“I think people have supported small businesses more than ever during this time period, which is lovely to see, and I hope it continues.”

PopUp Business School, which helps people from all walks of life to launch their own businesses, is asking people across the UK to take a photograph which illustrates their business, or business idea, with the chance to win up to £200.

CEO Simon Paine said: “Business has changed so much in the past few months, we thought it’d be really interesting to get a glimpse into their world.

“We know many businesses have moved their operations online and are interacting and serving customers in a different way.

“However, due to lockdown, this has all been happening behind closed doors. We’ve seen far less of one another so it’s going to be great to take a look inside.”

The competition is still open for  entries here: https://www.popupbusinessschool.co.uk/photo-challenge.html

Transformational digital technology agency J B Cole has appointed Julia Mitchell (of Toast PR) as its new marketing partner.

Julia will be overseeing the company’s marketing strategy and development; whilst also focusing on the implementation of day-to-day creative, social and digital content supported by the company’s in-house marketing team.

Founded ten years ago by brothers and founders, Josh and Ollie, J B Cole and their teams in Manchester and London transform businesses through technology and innovation with clients including Morris Homes, Nokia, The National Trust, Transport for London and ITV.

Josh Bolland, CEO said “Toast’s extensive experience, led by Julia Mitchell brings many valuable insights and expertise to J B Cole. With Julia onboard, we have secured the last piece of the management puzzle. Now represents a critical turning point for our agency as many of our clients (old and new) are navigating their way through once-in-a-lifetime challenges. Marketing what we do well, has never been more crucial. I am very much looking forward to seeing Julia accelerate our message sharing and growth.”

Toast, headed by Julia Mitchell is a PR and marketing consultancy based in Manchester. The agency works across both B2C and B2B sectors with clients in the latter having recently included Deloitte Digital and MediaCity’s technology accelerator, The Landing.

“I’m incredibly excited to be part of JB Cole. We started working together during lockdown and it’s been unusual starting a working relationship over Microsoft Teams but there’s a positive buzz in the company and a lot of passion for marketing, already. With the team and strategy we have in place – I truly believe we will develop a fantastic working relationship both virtually and when the time comes, face to face” said Julia Mitchell.

“One of our first undertakings will be assisting J B Cole with the release of a whitepaper which looks at the future of business in the world beyond Covid-19. It will be a valuable piece of content for J B Cole’s community and the industries they support and we are looking forward to helping them amplify this.”