Night School offers coaching to career professionals looking to break into public relations, strategy and creative industries
CHICAGO (January 11, 2023) – Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG) agency Golin announced today a new DEI-focused program, called Night School, as a free 8-week career development and coaching program aimed at transforming the lives of working adults from marginalized communities interested in pivoting to creative-based industries.
The program which originally began in Golin’s UK market, contains hands-on training with industry experts in areas such as copywriting, art direction, planning and production.
The inaugural program in the U.S. started in late September 2022 and features training courses to 12 recruited students who are based in Chicago, Dallas and New York. Each adult student receives a monetary stipend to complete a personal, professional branding project, which culminates in a live exhibition for industry leaders on February 8 in Chicago. The students then receive mentors to help them progress towards personally relevant areas of the industry.
“Night School was set up to help open the doors to the creative industries,” said George Bryant, group chief creative officer, Golin. “We believe diverse and inclusive voices make our company and the broader industry stronger. I look forward to the impact that the incredible Night Schoolers of 2023 will have on all of us.”
Current students of Golin’s Night School class hail from a variety of employment backgrounds in the non-profit, private and public sectors, ranging from copy editor, alumni specialist, social media manager, TV production assistant, marketing analyst, creative producer and visual designer. Night School attendees were not required to hold a college degree or have previous creative-industry experience; Golin’s promise was to help those registered build their creative skill sets and promote the confidence to make the best career move of their lives.
“A program such as Night School speaks directly to Golin’s commitment in developing tools and teaching skills required by people to succeed in PR and other creative industries,” said Natasha O’Dell Archer, SVP of DE&I, Golin. “Our motto is to ‘create change that matters’ and by mentoring a diverse group of individuals, we can enable success for the members of the program as well as the industry at large. We are certifying adult learners through our curriculum who represent racially marginalized & LGBTQIA communities — we hope to see more opportunities like our Night School program become accessible to people across every workforce one day in the near future.”
Following Natasha O’Dell Archer’s appointment to SVP of DE&I in 2021, Golin advanced several areas of its Theory of Change philosophy that focuses on recruitment/retention, training/education, employee engagement/social justice, client supports/pro-bono efforts and measurement.
With the creation of Night School, Golin sought out people with a strong passion for – and/or interest in – a career in the creative industry, along with a diversity of lived experience, or diversity of thought.
“Being part of a program such as Night School has been instrumental in helping me develop the skills and knowledge for personal success,” said Tanyia Foster, one of the students from the 2022-2023 Night School class. “Thanks to the outstanding leadership and guidance of the program, I feel well equipped to forge my path within the creative industry.”
Though admission to Night School’s first class in the U.S. was recruitment based, people interested in future programs – or who would like to attend the exhibition in February – can learn more by emailing marketing@golin.com.