Online marketing firm The Evergreen Agency have launched a careers initiative – to help young professionals onto the career ladder.

The Bicester based SEO (search engine optimisation) company created the scheme in response to the Covid-19 pandemic to provide opportunities for 18 to 24-year olds to start a career.

It is offering young professionals who do not have any industry experience the opportunity to join its specialist in-house training scheme.

And it has already recruited its first two trainees onto The Evergreen Agency’s Careers Initiative.

The firm has pledged to recruit four young professionals per year via the training scheme.

Aaron Rudman Hawkins, managing director of the Evergreen Agency said: “People seeking to get their first foot on the career ladder have been disproportionately hit by Covid-19.

“We wanted to do something to help people and came up with our careers initiative.

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“It is a fantastic opportunity for young professionals with no experience to learn new skills and develop an agency career in an exciting sector.

“They key qualities we look for are desire, initiative and ambition to break into industry.”

The Evergreen Agency specialises in search engine optimisation to help local, national and international businesses grow online.

It supports clients via a range of services including technical SEO analysis, content marketing and digital PR.

Sean Cousins and Amber Buonsenso are the first two to join The Evergreen Agency via the scheme and started last week.

Mr Rudman-Hawkins said the response to the scheme has been “incredible”.

“We’ve had more than 130 applicants already,” he said.

“There are so many talented young people in Oxfordshire and it’s important the business community finds ways to create opportunities for them to build careers.

“It’s great to welcome our first two trainees, Sean and Amber really stood out as incredibly driven and committed. We’re looking forward to working with them and to offering opportunities to more people.”

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The Evergreen Agency team in 2019

Mr Cousins said: “I’m delighted to have got this opportunity to start my career with an ambitious company.”

Miss Buonsenso added: “It’s an exciting opportunity and I’m looking forward to developing my experience.”

Youngsters who join The Evergreen Agency will be integrated into the firm’s SEO work for its clients.

Mr Rudman-Hawkins said: “They are exciting roles, people will receive full training, support and guidance.

“They will be part of our operations teams and be involved in our client work so they build the right skills they will need to be successful.”

Despite the government offering firms support to recruit apprenticeships via the Kickstart Scheme Mr Rudman-Hawkins opted to create his own initiative without external funding.

“The government scheme will play a major role in helping create opportunities, but we decided we wanted full flexibility and control of our programme,” he said.

“Additionally, we are doing this to help the economy and our agency and so didn’t want to draw on the public purse to do so.”

He added: “I remember how tough it was to get a good opportunity in my early twenties and therefore I’m so pleased to be in a position to now offer this to aspiring professionals,” he said.

Founded in 2013 The Evergreen Agency has doubled its team this year to service a growing client base. Its clients include The Cocktail Service, Hawkins Law and CIS in Oxfordshire.

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And its national portfolio includes Czarnikow, The Somerset Toiletry Company and The Grand Theatre Blackpool. Mr Rudman-Hawkins said: “Covid-19 has created major challenges for us all, but one thing that has shone throughout is the determination of the Oxfordshire business community to help each other and come through it together.

“Due to the on-going Covid-19 restrictions more people are going online for business and leisure. So, our work in helping organisations be visible online has become crucial and we’re experiencing greater demand.”

Mr Rudman-Hawkins said those who join the careers initiative can expect full support.

“We are a supportive company and in addition to the training programme we provide each new member of the team with a mentor,” he said.

For more visit theevergreenagency.co.uk.