Inspiring the Digital Marketers of the Future

Digital marketing skills are in demand and critical to the success of businesses of all shapes and sizes.  Young people have grown up with digital technology and the challenge will demonstrate how they can develop and apply their skills, including what they learn in subjects like English, Psychology, Graphics, Media, Photography, Art, Business, to name a few.

Also critical are essential skills like teamwork, communication, leadership, analysis, innovation, creativity, problem-solving, and resilience: skills necessary for every workplace.  

The partnership between Sookio and Long Road will invite students from different subjects to tackle a marketing challenge that Sookio will set.  They will work in interdisciplinary teams using the full range of skills. The details of the student challenge will be revealed in October once the new cohort of sixth form students has settled in.

Marketing experts from the company, including several Long Road alumni, will be on hand to guide and support students and at the end of the challenge parents and carers will be invited to celebrate students’ achievements.

Long Road will mark the 50^th anniversary of its founding as a sixth form college in September 2024 and will be reconnecting with alumni over the coming year to celebrate the occasion and as part of its plans to prepare for the next half-century of its future.

Sue Keogh, founder and director of Sookio said:

“We're so looking forward to sharing real-world insights that will set students up for a career in the creative industries. At Sookio we have an ethos of 'lift as we climb'. We know how important it is to open doors for the next generation of brilliant marketers. We'll be demystifying jargon and setting thought-provoking challenges that will give students a taste of what it's really like to work in marketing and communications. They'll come away with more skills, more experience - and having had a lot of fun along the way.”

Tariq Sadiq, Careers, Employability, and Skills Lead at Long Road said:

“We are delighted to be partnering with Sookio to offer this fantastic opportunity to our students to get hands on with digital marketing.  It’s so important for young people to learn how to apply knowledge and skills in the workplace and to inspire them to follow the careers of the future. As we approach our 50^th year, the College is keen to re-connect with former students, like some of those now working for Sookio, and to get them involved in guiding the next generation into the world of work.  Young people will need all the insight they can get to navigate the huge advances in technology anticipated over the next 50 years and the profound social change that it may bring.”