DUBAI: Regional advertising group Middle East Communications Network’s talent hub MCN Academy has launched a new graduate program in Saudi Arabia to attract and train young local talent.
The six-month program includes various disciplines such as advertising, media, PR, strategy, data, and social and digital media.
It will combine learning with hands-on experiences and behavioral guidance, including critical thinking and problem-solving. Students will be trained across the network’s agencies in Saudi Arabia, which include FP7 McCann, UM, MRM, and Weber Shandwick.
The first five months of the program focus on technical and behavioral skills training across disciplines and agencies, while the sixth month sees students work on a project that could result in an employment offer.
An MCN spokesperson told Arab News: “Based on the quality, engagement and project output, the objective is to offer talents an employment contract.”
The first edition of the program launched in the summer and the second is due to launch in February 2025.
The spokesperson added: “The courses run continuously every six months so a new cohort of graduates will begin in February, and so on.”
Shoaa Salman Alawni, who is part of the program, said that it marked “an important step” in her professional journey by allowing her to explore different fields within media and advertising before deciding on one.
After graduating from the College of Media and Communication at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, MCN Academy’s program had allowed her to “find professional support that enhanced my skills and gave me confidence in my choices,” she added.
Yazan Farrash, a marketing graduate from Prince Sultan University, said that she chose to enroll as part of her co-op program, which required students to work at a company as part of the course.
He told Arab News: “I have been exposed to the many fields and functions of MCN’s agencies and, more importantly, I was given the opportunity to grow in each of these environments.”
The program is open to all Saudi graduates, who can apply through their universities, job fairs, or by emailing talentKSA@mcnmena.com.
