A real passion for this theme has emerged, and it gives me so much energy!

Business Unit Manager Maikel Veldhuis on the unique collaboration with TAP Careers.

Some time ago, we were approached for a unique collaboration, namely with the Talent Acceleration Platform (TAP). TAP is a Dutch-Palestinian EdTech company. They enable talented young people in vulnerable parts of the MENA region to make a flying start in their remote careers through educational programs. In this interview with Maikel Veldhuis, Business Unit Manager at Adwise Academy, we will tell you more about the establishment of the collaboration and explain more about the program.

How did the collaboration come about?

It is becoming increasingly important for companies to engage in social causes for various purposes, and this is also the case at Adwise. During our annual corporate meeting in January 2023, it emerged that social involvement is one of the focal points and is becoming increasingly important for Adwise as well.

'Quite coincidentally, a week later I received an email from Roeland Pater asking what we would think about training students from Palestine.' Although we were initially a bit hesitant, I couldn't contain my enthusiasm and started to investigate. 'I had so many questions I wanted to ask them!' says Maikel.

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After some email exchanges, we quickly arranged an online meeting to meet each other and compare our expectations. During this meeting, we discussed the purpose of the traineeship and how the collaboration would proceed, as well as what TAP was looking for in a partner and how we would fit into that picture. Since we were chosen as the best educator in the Netherlands this year by #EMERCE, already provide many training sessions, have our own Learning Management System, and also have a large network through our parent company Adwise, all parties agreed that we could not miss this opportunity. A physical meeting followed soon after, and on May 4th, we met in person for the first time at our office in Almelo, where all contracts were also signed. Ready to go!

What are the key objectives you have set for this collaboration? 

Where we immediately found common ground is the shared belief that everyone deserves a fair chance to build a career in digital marketing. "I find it important to be socially involved, and that's why this subject appealed to me so much. There's a real passion for this theme that has emerged, and it gives me a lot of energy."

We also stated that if we were to enter this collaboration, we aim for a sustainable relationship in which we can further expand this trajectory in the coming years. Currently, we are starting with groups of about 18 students in September and November, totaling 36 students. The goal is eventually to scale up to about 11-12 groups per year, training around 200 students. The traineeship is now mainly taking place in Palestine, but TAP also sees opportunities to expand to other countries in the Middle East.

TAP is already offering traineeships in web development and B2B tech sales. It was therefore a logical next step to develop a traineeship in the field of digital marketing.

 

How did you put together the program?

"It was important for us to have free rein in developing the traineeship." This is because we believe that this is the only way we can truly transfer our knowledge to them. We looked internally for potential trainers who are comfortable with the English language but also indicated that they would like to make an extra societal effort regarding this theme. "There are also several external trainers of ours who will also commit to the traineeship."

The traineeship lasts a total of 8 weeks. The workweek in the Middle East starts on Sunday and lasts until Thursday. On Wednesday and Thursday, they receive the substantive training on various topics in digital marketing. On Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, the students are prepared with power skills so that they are truly ready to enter the international job market after the traineeship. Throughout the week, time is also scheduled for self-study, so there is space for the students to process all the information.

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During these 8 weeks, the students will write their own marketing plan, in which they will detail a different component each week. They will also present this marketing plan to a company.

We have entered into a partnership with an Adwise client named Kabrita for this purpose. Kabrita is part of the parent company Ausnutria. We chose this company because they also have an office in the Middle East, which makes them more familiar with the culture.

During the traineeship, we will also start looking for potential internship companies in Europe, where the students will do a 2-month remote internship. The ultimate goal is for these students to be offered employment after their internship.

 

What do you hope to achieve with this collaboration?

"We mainly want to make a real impact!" says Maikel, brimming with enthusiasm. "These are highly talented university-educated students, and by helping them find employment, they can also contribute to their own economy." And they do this with the knowledge we pass on to them!

The Dutch government also supports this project because they find it important that we can transfer knowledge to other countries, allowing them to optimize the economy in their own country. By providing the opportunity for meaningful employment and improved economic conditions, there's no need for them to migrate to other European countries. In this way, we contribute to a better perspective and living conditions.

The start date for the first traineeship is on September 6, 2023. The next traineeship will start on November 1. In those weeks, we will take you through who the students are, how they experience it, and the experiences of our trainers. Stay tuned!

Do you have an internship or job placement for one of the highly talented students? You can find more information about the remote traineeship on this page.

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