In order to maximize graduate employability, CEU San Pablo University has forged strong  university-business links through which collaboration between professional and academic worlds is promoted and strengthened. The project, called Aula MARCO, began this academic year and is being implemented in all faculties. It provides students with beyond-the-classroom skills and allows them to take their first steps into the job market.

A group of selected students from the degree in Advertising and Public Relations have been participating since last week in the Aula MARCO, which started with a special session with the participation of Xabier Olazábal, managing partner (Advertising), and Teresa Santos, a consultant for the agency.

MARCO is an international public relations and communication agency, specialised in branding and reputation management. A group of outstanding, high-performance students have been selected to participate in this program and receive complimentary training in specific areas of communication, creativity, design and audiovisual media. They will be guided by a MARCO mentor who will support and advise the participants throughout the academic year, and they will have the opportunity to meet other high-profile professionals and exchange ideas and opinions on current communication issues.

The 22-week long program covers everything from the importance of objectives in project management to the final evaluation, including careful planning and frequent follow-ups. The program includes both theoretical and practical aspects of learning in order to provide participating students the opportunity to become part of the company’s team, where they will gain work experience in different departments at the agency.

Highly experienced speakers from the MARCO agency, such as Xabier Olazábal, managing partner (Advertising), Verónica Allen, Head of Digital, or Carlos Bustamante, Head of Creativity, among others, will guide students through a process of learning and growth in the professional world.

The launch of Aula MARCO is the latest in a series of collaborations between the University and the MARCO agency, and one of various agreements between the University and organisations that want to train students in specific skills to meet their business needs while offering new sources of talent recruitment.