ACA, Red & Yellow to launch new ‘industry-first’ marketing, advertising graduate programme

ACA says the programme is a first for the South African advertising and communications industry and will provide those enrolled with the opportunity to learn first-hand, the key disciplines required for career progression in their chosen fields within the industry. This includes account management, creative, media, digital strategy, and research and data.

The 12-month programme, developed on the basis of the MICT Seta (skills development within the sub-sectors of advertising, film and electronic media, electronics, information technology and telecommunications) accredited National Certificate in Advertising qualification, provides graduates with a Red & Yellow qualification upon completion and provides agencies with further skills development opportunities to incorporate into employee value propositions and upskilling activities.

For the inaugural rollout of the programme commencing on 2 April 2024, agency partners Publicis Groupe and Dentsu will be involved with delegates enrolled from both Johannesburg and Cape Town.

“We are so pleased to partner with Red & Yellow on this exciting and much-needed graduate programme,” says Gillian Rightford, interim executive director at the ACA.

“People who enter the advertising industry often come from disparate backgrounds and can lack the foundational skills and knowledge about how the various parts fit together. The curriculum helps equip them with a broad, yet detailed understanding, and will also introduce them to a network of peers.”

Andrew Allison, chief commercial officer at Red & Yellow, says: “The Mac sector is complex and has undergone some big changes over the last decade. It can be tricky enough for seasoned campaigners to navigate, let alone for new entrants just starting their careers. This complexity, combined with a growing need for juniors to “hit the ground running” when they start in the agency, presents significant growth and development challenges for both the talent and teams in which they operate”