Full service Oldham agency Cornerstone Design & Marketing welcomed pupils from Samuel Laycock School in Ashton in a bid to help inspire the next generation of digital marketeers.

Students on the school’s Digital Pathway paid a visit to Cornerstone HQ in Lees to find out more about the agency and careers within digital marketing and advertising.

Studying towards GCSE grades 9-4, the visit was organised by the school – which caters for young people with additional needs including autism and ADHD – to give pupils an insight in future careers.

Managing director David Wadsworth, who started Cornerstone in his parent’s attic in Clarksfield, Oldham, in 2007, spoke about the departments which make up the agency, the type of clients it serves and how marketing is used to influence buyer behaviour.

David also explained routes into the industry and how Cornerstone has recently taken on several apprentices in a bid to help them take their first steps into digital marketing and web development.

Students get a tour of the print studio

Public relations manager Gill Potts talked about the power of the written word and how PR is used within marketing to influence and build relationships between a brand or business and its audiences.

Web project manager Paige Coulthurst told students how she’d continued to study and develop professionally, progressing from social media executive to her current Cornerstone role, while outlining some of the key attributes to getting a job after college or university.

Students were given a tour of Cornerstone, based in Acorn Street, before answering a quick quiz to test their newly acquired Cornerstone knowledge with 15-year-old Alfie declared the winner.

The visit ended on a high with cakes and treats in the office breakout zone!

Alfie with his prize for winning the Cornerstone quiz

Abi Cooke, IT/Digital Pathway Lead at Samuel Laycock School, said: “Alongside the curriculum we try and give the pupils a varied range of experiences relating to the sort of career they may want to progress into or aspire to become.

“The students loved their visit to Cornerstone and we had some very positive comments. Some said it was the best trip they’d been on and some said they’d really like to work there.” 

David added: “We’re proud of our involvement locally in helping to inspire, encourage and guide young people when it comes to their aspirations. It was a pleasure to welcome students from Samuel Laycock School and we’re glad they enjoyed their time with us.

“Our team hails from a diverse range of educational and work-based backgrounds and we’re proud to be spearheading some of the less conventional routes into the industry and investing in people at the start of their careers through apprenticeships.”