DRPG opens the door wider for the industry’s next generation

For plenty of young people, breaking into the creative industries still feels like trying to get backstage without a pass. Everyone talks about opportunity, but meaningful industry experience can be hard to come by.

We are trying to change that.

We're expanding our work experience programme for 2026, building a more immersive and structured approach designed to give students a genuine feel for the pace, creativity and collaboration that sit behind modern campaigns and business communications.

In 2025, we supported 35 students across graduate and secondary school placements. Another 56 enquiries have already landed in 2026, and the ambition internally is to try and accommodate these where possible.

It’s safe to say that work placement at DRPG isn’t just making tea, shadowing meetings or spending a week quietly parked in the corner of a studio.

We have reshaped our secondary school programme into a dedicated five-day experience running throughout June and July, with groups of around 15 students joining from schools across the region. At least three programmes are planned this year.

The idea is to give students a real sense of how ideas move through the business, from early concepts through to finished creative output.

Across the week, students will tackle a live-style brief touching multiple specialisms across the agency, including brand design, campaign creative, digital experience, animation and film. One moment they might be building brand foundations, the next developing a TV advert concept or exploring UX thinking alongside digital teams.

It is intentionally broad, because the modern creative industry is too.

Alongside the school programme, we will continue to offer more tailored graduate placements, shaped around individual interests and career ambitions.

The expanded initiative sits naturally alongside programmes such as our Next Gen Board, which gives select team members under the age of 30 a voice within the business and reflects a wider focus on developing future talent from within.

Four current members of the Board originally started their journeys at the company on work experience placements in the early 1990s, a detail that says plenty about the culture the business has built over time.

There is also a story still shared around the company of a teenage Richard Hingley, who is now our Chief Creative Officer, being sent to Sweden during a work experience placement to assist on a shoot inside a sewage plant. Different times, certainly. But the story has lasted because it captures our approach to work experience, which is to trust those on work experience, involve them properly and let them experience the industry for real.

That sense of genuine involvement still seems to resonate with students today.

One student who recently completed work experience with us afterwards wrote:

“I really had a great time, and it has made my mind up that film and whatever that means is what I want to pursue in the future. Using the cameras and audio software was a real eye opener and something I want to work on in my own time.”

Following a recent school visit, one teacher also said:

“The vibe was absolutely buzzing on the way back with students all saying what a great trip it was and how positive they feel about careers, how much more they know and have a drive to pursue media afterwards.”

Alicia Wilson, Head of People at DRPG, said:

“We want students to leave feeling like they’ve genuinely experienced the industry, not just observed it from the sidelines.

“Creative careers can sometimes feel difficult to access if you don’t know what the opportunities look like or where you fit. Giving young people real exposure to different disciplines and teams can make a huge difference to their confidence and ambitions.

“So many people within DRPG started their careers through opportunities like this, and that’s why continuing to invest in the next generation matters so much to us.”