Southwark College’s Business and Computing students visited Cherry, a full-service healthcare creative agency for a full day of workshops with industry professionals. Over the course of the day, the students attended workshops with a range of departments such as Digital, Creative, Copy, Account Management and Human Resources.
The students learnt how Cherry’s different departments work together to advertise medical products to healthcare professionals and patients. From learning about the importance of accessibility in design to discovering how to write creative briefs, the students enjoyed exploring the world of medical communications.
The company’s representatives leading the talks and workshops were knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and passionate about the work they do. Ross Kennedy, Senior Account Executive at Cherry, said: “The event went well. A lot of hard work went into this day, and it’s been great to see the students speak up and get involved, especially as this is a niche area of Advertising.”
His colleague, Becky, Talent Acquisition Executive, also felt positive about the students’ visit. She said: “It’s brilliant to give back to the community. While the company has done internships previously, this type of taster day hasn’t been done before. It’s great to connect with the students from Southwark College and see which areas they’re the most interested in.”
The students were engaged and enjoyed taking part in the challenges set by the different departments.
Hamza Ouzbara, a Computing student at Southwark College, said: “I really enjoyed learning about accessibility in design. It’s not something most people think about, as they’re mostly focused on creating something that looks good. From now on, I’ll consider how to make my work suitable for people with different accessibility needs.”
Soanata Virkietyte, a Business student at Southwark College, also said: “The event was excellent and was a wonderful opportunity to hear from professionals working in the advertising field. The workshops were interesting and helped me discover the career paths available in the Business, Digital and Creative Sectors.”
Jane Button, Principal at Southwark College, said: “I’m delighted to see our students participate in industry workshops and networking with experienced professionals to learn more about the different opportunities available to them in their chosen fields and to help them make an informed decision for their next steps after college.
“Southwark College is committed to developing relationships with local employers to offer opportunities for our students in various sectors to prepare them for their future careers. We look forward to continuing working with Cherry and developing further links within our community to provide students with an outstanding college experience leading to careers in the business, digital and creative sectors."
Cherry is a creative agency specialising in health-care advertising based in Southwark. The day of workshops was facilitated by GoodPeopleand their youth programmeNextGen.
For more information on our Business and Digital courses, visit southwark.ac.uk/courses
