Employing over 18 apprentices since the business was first established, Mabo have shone in their commitment to training people from the ground up.
The Digital Marketing Agency, founded in 2013, supports over 350 external clients with paid advertising solutions and employs 66 staff and counting in its Middlesbrough HQ.
Of those employees there is a healthy proportion of apprentices who have started in the agency and progressed into full-time roles through the Northern Skills apprenticeship programme. Megan Tipper being a shining example.
“Transitioning from an apprentice to a full time position can be challenging, but at the same time the most comfortable, secure and rewarding experience when working with Northern Skills Group at Middlesbrough College.
“It provides you with hope for the future with hands-on experience, a salary, and the opportunity to gain qualifications – all while you work.”
With many of their apprentices now working full time at the agency, Mabo accounts a lot of its growth to those new recruits.
Stephen Cumberworth, Head of PPC at Mabo recounts the earlier days:
“We were a young, growing business with only a handful of clients and wanted to find a candidate who we could show the ropes and mold into a PPC Account manager.
“Giving someone the opportunity to not only learn Pay Per Click but also understand Mabo as a business really helped us develop a loyal and motivated team.
“In 2016 we began to work with Northern Skills to help further build the Mabo team and see how we could expand our team through apprenticeships.”
Fast forward seven years and Mabo have apprentices solidly integrated in their workforce development strategy.
“Working with Northern Skills has helped us generate a pipeline of future talent that can learn on the job and be part of the Mabo culture.
“Our collaboration with Northern Skills has been a fantastic experience. Their support for apprentices has been a real asset to our agency. Together, we’re paving the way for nurturing local talent in the digital marketing industry.”
Pete Donnelley, Head of Business Development at Northern Skills is delighted with the company’s growth:
“It’s inspiring to see a local, home-grown company go from strength to strength and have such great success, and still commit to nurturing fresh talent in the industry.
“Teesside is an exciting place to be in the digital sector and we’re proud to work with so many businesses like Mabo to help their business thrive.”
Northern Skills is the apprenticeship and training arm of Middlesbrough College Group. To find out more about Northern Skills and the digital apprenticeships on offer, visit www.northernskills.co.uk or call 03453 40 40 40.
