Academy by Tribera: Skills development programme for marketing graduates
The vision
Birmingham has a thriving creative sector, but a persistent problem: marketing graduates leave university with solid theoretical knowledge yet limited hands-on experience with the tools, workflows and client dynamics that define agency life. Many possess the talent and ambition to thrive in creative careers, but without practical, job-ready skills they often migrate to London or other established creative hubs seeking opportunities. This brain drain hampers regional economic growth and leaves Birmingham's agencies and businesses struggling to build the local talent pipelines they need.
Fran and Dré, co-founders of Birmingham-based creative content agency Tribera, wanted to change this. Their ambition was to create something genuinely impactful: an academy programme that would transform marketing graduates into industry-ready professionals, helping them build careers right here in Birmingham rather than feeling they need to leave the region to find opportunity.
Having previously taught marketing at Birmingham City University, I'd seen first-hand the gap between what students learn and what employers need. When Fran and Dré approached me about the Academy, I shared their vision completely and wanted to help bring it to life. Together, we set out to bridge that gap, creating a talent pipeline that would benefit graduates, agencies and the region alike.
The project has been developed in phases. A pilot programme ran in summer 2025, testing the concept with a cohort of 10 students from Birmingham City University and Aston University. Based on those learnings, we refined and expanded the programme for 2026, building towards a sustainable, scalable model that continues to evolve.
My role
Working closely with Fran, Dré and the wider Tribera team, my contributions span the full spectrum of programme development and delivery:
Programme design and curriculum development. - Together we shaped the six-week programme structure, creating a curriculum that rotates students through key agency departments including creative, client services, social media, digital marketing and PR. This involved developing learning materials, session plans and assessment frameworks in collaboration with department leads across the agency.
University partnership development - Established and manage relationships with Birmingham City University and Aston University, creating the recruitment pipeline for the programme. This includes presenting to students, coordinating selection processes and exploring academic accreditation options alongside the universities.
Brand strategy - Developed the strategic positioning for Academy by Tribera, defining audience segments and the overall brand direction. Tribera's creative team then brought this to life through visual identity design and messaging development.
Programme coordination and delivery - During the pilot programme in June 2025, I coordinated sessions across Tribera's departments, supported student progress, collected weekly feedback and helped facilitate the client brief work with Yugo student accommodation.
Evaluation and impact measurement - We designed an evaluation framework together, including a partnership with Next Level Recruitment to conduct independent pre and post-programme employability interviews. I analyse both quantitative metrics and qualitative feedback to inform ongoing programme refinement.
2026 programme development - Based on comprehensive pilot feedback analysis from students, Tribera team and lecturers, we redesigned the programme format for 2026. We’re looking to adapt the training course to hone in on digital and AI skills.
What we accomplished
Comprehensive programme curriculum covering creative, client services, social media, digital marketing and PR
University partnerships with BCU and Aston University
Academy brand strategy and positioning with audience-specific direction, and brand identity and assets
Evaluation framework, including an independent employability assessment partnership
Refined 2026 programme structure based on pilot learnings
A very happy first cohort of wonderful students ✨
Results
The 2025 pilot programme delivered measurable impact across multiple dimensions:
100% employability improvement. All 10 students showed improvement in independent employability assessments, with an average score increase of 26.9% (overall from 67% to 85%). Students starting with the lowest confidence showed the biggest gains, with one student improving by 63.6%.
Strong employment outcomes. Within five months post-programme, 30% secured employment (including roles at Gateley PLC, Croud and Sage Solutions), with an additional 40% actively interviewing or gaining work experience. This represents 70% of the cohort progressing towards employment.
High satisfaction scores. Weekly feedback surveys showed consistently strong ratings, with students particularly valuing the real agency environment, practical workshops and team support. Net Promoter Scores averaged 9/10 across programme weeks.
Geographic and role diversity. Successful placements demonstrated the programme's ability to prepare graduates for varied marketing roles across different organisational types, from in-house positions to agency roles.
What’s next
This is an ongoing partnership. The 2026 programme is scheduled to run in the summer, with a refined four-week format incorporating all pilot learnings.
Together with Fran and Dré, I continue to lead programme development, manage university partnerships and build the Academy towards a sustainable, scalable model that can genuinely address Birmingham's creative sector skills gap.
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Services: Training programme design, curriculum development, university partnership management, brand strategy, evaluation framework, project coordination
Duration: January 2025 – ongoing
Location: Birmingham, UK
