Former Newark College Graphic Design ED student, Lewis Munro, is getting a taste of the fast paced world of advertising and marketing communications with a fantastic apprenticeship with the biggest Ad agency outside the M25, McCann Erickson Manchester.

Lewis fought off stiff competition from 89 other candidates to land a coveted 12 month placement. When postcards stating 'opportunity is nowhere' hit the desks of McCann Manchester every day for a week, what they were actually receiving was Lewis' innovative direct mail teaser! On the day of Lewis' interview, and with a clever tweak of emphasis and intonation, the postcard they received that day contained all the same letters, but delivered a very different message: 'Opportunity is nowhere!'. This spark of genius was a great start to the interview process and worked to secure the placement for Lewis.

"I am absolutely delighted to be working here, it is everything I thought it would be" he says, "without a doubt, studying the course at Newark College opened up this opportunity and gave me the confidence, skills and knowledge to go for it.”

“During my final year my tutor, Helen Mather, encouraged me to look at all of my options for the future. With her help I successfully gained a place at Leeds Met to study BA Hons in Marketing as well establishing many industry contacts for freelance practice more locally. However it was the exciting opportunity for the apprenticeship with McCann Manchester that I was passionate about pursuing!" says Lewis. “During the course and beyond Helen continued to help me be successful during the lengthy McCann application process.

Graphic Design ED Course Leader, Helen Mather says:

"The Graphic Design Course and team at Newark College continue to develop new and existing relationships with Industry in order to highlight progression and employment opportunities for our students, both during and after their course. When students finish with us, we not only ensure they are equipped with the necessary creative industry knowledge and skills, we also ensure they have a variety of academic and industry based progression routes open to them. In this climate it is important to remain flexible and adaptable, keeping opportunities readily available ensures leavers are in a good position to progress and do well”.

“Although a number of our leavers choose University, Lewis is a fantastic example of how students can be equipped for industry directly from the level 3 course. Lewis' success is as a result of a lot of hard work, focus and drive. I am excited to see where Lewis’ entrepreneurial qualities will take him after this experience. Lewis intends to mentor and support other students from the Graphic Design course to be just as successful.

Lewis' tips for getting ahead in Graphics and Marketing Communication:
"Develop and practice your skills, grab opportunities to gain valuable work experience. It's competitive out there - so it will definitely give you the edge and a chance to show prospective employers what you've achieved in a working context. And don't be afraid to put your ideas out there."