GEL Studios launched its Next Gen initiative in July 2025 to give students hands-on experience through live projects, professional mentoring and access to industry-standard creative software.
During its first year, 15 students completed placements at the agency’s Swindon studio. Collectively, they spent 91 days working on 21 creative projects and received 344 hours of mentoring and support from the GEL Studios team.
The agency has also strengthened its links with local education providers by attending six school and college careers events. Staff contributed a further 52 hours to mock interviews, futures evenings and creative workshops.
Each student on the programme is given a live creative brief, allowing them to gain experience in branding, graphic design, social media, market research and content creation.
Participants also use professional software including Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Canva, Google Ads and SEMrush while developing presentation skills by pitching ideas and receiving feedback from experienced creatives.
According to GEL Studios, the programme achieved an average satisfaction score of 9.8 out of 10 during its first year, up from 9.6 when it was launched. Students also praised the support they received and said they would recommend the placement to others.
Beth Wakefield, Creative Strategist at GEL Studios and lead of the Next Gen programme, said:
“I wanted to create a programme that gives young people meaningful insight into the creative industry and helps them build confidence in where their skills could take them.
“One of the most rewarding aspects has been seeing young people grow in confidence, develop new skills and start to recognise the value of their own ideas.”
Looking ahead, the agency plans to expand the programme by introducing more classroom workshops, developing stronger partnerships with schools and colleges, and beginning outreach work with primary schools.
It also intends to continue refining its creative briefs to ensure students leave with practical experience, greater confidence and a better understanding of careers in the creative industries.
