More About Advertising reported that WPP and The One Club are bringing One School—a free online ad school for Black creatives—to the UK.
In short, the standard heat shield for recruiting Blacks has gone global—wooing entry-level embryos while ignoring the retention dilemma posed by having few senior-level executives of color to help newbies feel welcome. Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging be damned.
Hard to believe no one can find mid- and senior-level BIPOC candidates in the US and UK. Then again, it’s not hard to believe when considering that both countries pretty much invented systemic racism. Hey, has anyone considered tapping Africa for talent?
WPP brings One School for Black creatives to the UK
WPP is bringing its One School initiative for Black creatives with The One Club for Creativity to the UK. Initially there are 15 places.
One School launched in the US in 2020 as a free online alternative to ad schools to provide new career opportunities for creative Black individuals and make agency and brand creative departments more diverse. The results-oriented school has already secured an 80% hire rate at top agencies and brands for its 128 graduates to date, 65% of whom are women.
The move is part of WPP’s Racial Equity Programme, managed by Stacie Graham, a three-year, $30 million commitment to fund inclusion programmes in the company and to support external organisations.
One School UK lead Ez Blaine says: “As a Black creative from the UK, it’s very meaningful to me to return here and help bring new Black talent into the creative industry. Our choice of Black lecturers and mentors helps close the gap and exposes students to creative leaders who they can relate to, allowing them to see a pathway for themselves into the industry. This is about teaching students to stand out for their Blackness, be 100% authentic to who they are and understand the value that brings.”
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