Ashley De Guzman who graduated from Year 13 in June 2021 has secured one of twenty places on the prestigious D&AD Shift with Google programme this Summer as she kick starts her career in the industry with this unique programme.
The Shift programme which is run by D&AD is a bridging programme designed for young creatives as they enter the industry. Through Shift, in partnership with adidas and supported by Disney, giffgaff, Here Design and Penguin – D&AD aims to create an accessible space for self-made talent to learn from and connect with the industry, establish a network and find job opportunities.
D&AD works with a number of leading global agencies and practitioners including Analog Folk, BBC Creative, BBH, Bracket, Bulletproof, Design Bridge, Forpeople, Futerra, Grand Matter, Harbour, Iris, Lucky Generals, Method, Mischief PR, PwC, Phantom, Publicis Sapient, Pretty Bird, Saatchi&Saatchi, Saboteur, The Elephant Room, and VCCP Kin, who in the past few months have dedicated time, passion and expertise to working with the next generation of creatives.
Shift is D&AD’s free industry-led night school for emerging creatives who don’t have a university-level degree. It tackles barriers to entry into the creative industry by providing an opportunity for emerging talent to hone their skills, establish a network and develop their portfolios.
Consisting of industry-set briefs, talks and mentorship, Shift provides a supportive and educational space for creatives who face barriers to access higher education and subsequent employment within the creative industries. The result – a wider range of voices and perspectives entering into the creative industry.
Click here to read what happened Paul Drake – Foundations Director of D&AD spoke to Year 13 Digital students about the opportunity.
On being part of the programme Ashley said:
“When Paul from D&AD came to speak to us in our media lesson – I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of. My experience so far has been amazing. To be surrounded with such immensely talented people and talk to incredible ad industry professionals is a position that I’d never thought I’d be in. Being part of this programme means that I get to simultaneously learn and work on my creative stance, craft and explore the exciting world of Advertising!”