ESA Launches Industry Diploma

The European Sponsorship Association is to launch a professional industry qualification in September 2011. The ESA Diploma, as it will be known, will be the first professional qualification specifically designed for the sponsorship industry.  It will be aimed primarily at those already working in the industry, although graduates will also be able to apply.

Starting in January 2012, the course will be run over six months and will be facilitated via a web-based distance learning platform, supported by regular but voluntary tutorials. ESA has appointed industry expert Peter Raymond to create and administer the Diploma; the on-line facility will be managed by award-winning specialists, Nelson Croom.  Peter will be supported in key areas of project development by Chris Bestley who has ten years experience of running similar courses for the Institute of Promotional Marketing.

ESA Chairman, Karen Earl, said: “This is the next important step for ESA in its quest to raise standards and develop professional qualifications within the sponsorship industry  I have always thought it a nonsense that no specific industry qualification exists for those working in and wishing to work in the industry.  The ESA Diploma will fill that gap.”

Peter Raymond said that the intention of the new Diploma was for the industry to train itself by capturing the vast depth of knowledge and experience that plentifully exists and by actively using this expertise to contribute towards the syllabus and the passing-on of knowledge. 

 “The Diploma is designed to provide a detailed and contemporary introduction to all aspects of the sponsorship industry.  It is targeted at all sponsorship practitioners who feel the need to enhance their knowledge on all facets of industry best practice”, added Raymond. 

The ESA Diploma is intended to become a basic entry-level requirement for all those practising in the industry but is suitable for managers and executives of all levels. The course will allow candidates to work through the syllabus at their own pace in either their personal or business time.  

Further details of the ESA Diploma will be available later in the year.  Bookings for the 2012 course will commence from September 1st 2011.  For more information visit the ESA website www.sponsorship.org or contact info@sponsorship.org to register an interest.

The Diploma builds on ESA’s successful annual Knowledge programme of educational events comprising briefings, forums and workshops. The third series of ESA Skills Workshops runs from September 2011. For details see: http://www.sponsorship.org/content/downloads_public/ESA-Knowledge-Flyer-...

ESA has also created a new Work Experience Certificate programme which is now available for its members to use within their businesses. The new programme aims to provide a simple-to-use framework for employers who recruit work experience candidates for periods of one week up to three months.

The ESA Work Experience Certificate (WEC) has been developed in consultation with sponsorship practitioners and it’s hoped will further raise standards within the industry. Karen Earl said that it is essential to provide a consistent approach to work experience: “While most employers within the sponsorship industry take on candidates to complete a period of work experience, without any specific guidelines to follow, experiences can vary. Candidates may also find that their outcomes are different.

“The ESA initiative provides a practical programme that offers flexibility to both employers and work experience applicants. It seeks to contribute to the availability of high-quality candidates within the sponsorship industry employment pool and enable prospective employers to more easily assess the calibre and experience of potential employees. In turn, prospective employees within the industry will benefit from an opportunity to gain from a structured work experience programme and recognised qualification to add to their CV.”

Earl acknowledged that while some members have their own systems already in place, there was almost unanimous agreement that a structured Work Experience programme would significantly benefit both employers and prospective candidates.

The WEC programme is available in three categories linked to the duration of the work experience - Bronze (1-2 weeks), Silver (2-4 weeks) and Gold (1-3 months). Each category offers a programme with both compulsory and voluntary modules, giving companies the ability to select the modules that best suit their business. The programme allows for feedback throughout the employment period.

On completion, the candidate will forward the paperwork to ESA who will authorise and award a certificate which can be used when applying for jobs. The candidate is required to cover a small administration fee. With the WEC scheme being exclusive to ESA members, all material is accessed via the Members Only section of the website. In addition to the feedback forms, the following support material can be downloaded: WEC Guidelines for Employers; WEC Guidelines for Candidates; ESA Terms & Conditions; Candidate Engagement Letter and a Non-disclosure Agreement.

ESA member agencies brandRapport; Fast Track, Hill & Knowlton, IMG, MEC Access, Octagon, Serious, Sponsorship Consulting, and Synergy worked alongside the association to create the programme.  For further information contact the ESA Office on +44 (0) 20 8390 3311 or email esaoffice@sponsorship.org