FRESH HOPE FOR DESIGN SECTOR WITH NEW INITIATIVE OFFERING SCHOLARSHIPS WORTH £200,000
When the world went into lockdown this spring, thousands of printers and design agencies shut their doors whilst freelance graphic designers were forced to turned off their Macs. Six months into global lockdowns and as time has marched on; widespread hiring freezes and redundancies hit. Those that had previously successfully freelanced found that their pipeline for print and exhibition work had dried up completely. In turn, anyone studying within the sector found that the traditional path to a career in design had all but disappeared.
The design sector is facing a crisis. Yet not all parts of the industry have been equally affected. Web design and ecommerce builders have reportedly seen increased demand.
As a result, Nettl, who run web, sign and print studios in the UK (and over 230locations around the world including France, Belgium and the Netherlands) is offering support to designers who are looking to transition from traditional design work to digital. In response to the crisis facing the industry, they have launched the Nettl AcademyScholarship – a financial support grant and development programme which is open to applicants with design skills who have been made redundant in the sector. There are 100 scholarships available in the UK.
Chris Lowe, Director of Nettl said, “This is a new initiative to help individuals who have been affected by the pandemic. For example, if you’ve got design skills and you’ve been made redundant or are struggling freelancing, we’ll help you get back on your feet again at our online training and development centre. It’s where we teach people the digital side of design which is crucial for any career in the industry these days.
"If your application is successful, you will up skill and learn multiple disciplines including website design, ecommerce, graphics, sales and marketing. All courses are delivered online, with a mixture of live sessions and recorded content. The programme is worth up to £2,000 in fees, which will be paid for six months on your behalf with no commitment to stay beyond this timeframe.
"It is our hope that this initiative will help kickstart a fresh wave of entrepreneurs who can look ahead. And maybe even go on to set up their own design businesses in the months and years to come. For others it will provide a great opportunity to build transferable skills and knowledge to help further their career in the future and make them more employable.”
In order to apply, applicants must be 18 years old (there is no upper age limit), legally resident in UK, Ireland, France, Belgium of the Netherlands. Ideally, they will already have gained graphic design or illustration skills and be able to use and own software such as Photoshop and InDesign. They can’t be currently employed in the design sector, nor can they be running an existing design business, but they can be working in temporary or part-time employment in an unrelated field.
For further information on the detailed criteria and about the Nettl Academy Scholarship, see https://www.nettlacademy.com/scholarship/
ENDS