Five years on and 20 cohorts later and The Juice Academy is still going strong
- May 11, 2018
- 2 min read
It’s hard to believe that it’s five years since we decided to do something scary and potentially silly and launch our own social media/digital marketing apprenticeship programme.
And last night we celebrated our 20th cohort of apprentices, with speakers including our new metro mayor, Andy Burnham and Carly Phillips, one of the apprentices from our very first cohort!
The Juice Academy is the not for profit sister company to our main business – Tangerine Communications – and was launched to help fill the chronic digital skills gap we all suffer from and to create jobs for young people.
Five years and 20 cohorts on and we’re soon to appoint our 300th apprentice and I’ve been reminiscing so thought I’d share…
We’ve had apprentices who’ve interviewed celebrities and trolled celebrities. We’ve had apprentices who’ve attended international music festivals and international policy festivals.
Apprentices who have made people laugh, made people cry and made people think.
Apprentices who work for police forces, power houses and politicians; councils, charities and cinemas; retailers, renewables and recruiters; airports, agencies and artists; manufacturers, music makers and media organisations.
And we couldn’t be more proud!
But none of this would have been possible without our (cue Oscar speech)…
Tutors – Tangerine’s award-winning practicing digital specialists who do all of the core training
Guest lecturers – people from the business and tech (and other) communities who give up their time free of charge to teach our bright young things something – many of them every quarter for five whole years – astonishing!
Little Juice team, Georgia and Heather (and until recently, Niall)
Sister company – Tangerine – for all the support they give us
Our training provider partners - Total People – we literally wouldn’t have been able to do it without these apprenticeship gurus
Our coding partners - Northcoders
Our employers – more than 200 of the region’s leading organisations, many of which have taken multiple apprentices from us
Our advisory board – a group of 12 leading business brains who helped us set up and make sure The Academy was fit for purpose
Our sponsors – especially people like RSM who enable us to run events which bring our communities together
Our apprentice alumni – who keep in touch regularly and keep helping us spread the word
And our general supporters – just too many to mention
There just are no words to express our gratitude towards everyone who’s helped us make The Academy what it is today.
It’s been a surprising, astonishing multi award-winning success of a ride and I’m looking forward to another five years so please don’t go anywhere!!
This is just the beginning!
By Sandy Lindsay MBE
Chair, Tangerine & The Juice Academy
"It is so inspiring to see the incredible growth and lasting impact of the Juice Academy over these five years! It reminds me of the importance of building a foundation that provides long-term protection and success. In my own life, I find that same sense of consistent security and lasting peace through the nightly recitation of Surah Mulk. Just as your cohorts have built a shield of skills for their careers, this practice serves as a spiritual shield for the heart every single night. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful milestone of dedication!"
What an inspiring milestone — five years and 20 cohorts is no small feat, and the sheer diversity of industries those apprentices have gone on to work in really speaks to how well-rounded the programme is. It's genuinely refreshing to see an initiative built around tackling the digital skills gap actually deliver on that promise, rather than just talking about it. As someone who works in education support and often helps students through an Assignment Writing Service UK, I see firsthand how much young people benefit from structured, real-world learning environments like The Juice Academy — it builds confidence that no classroom alone can replicate. The community of tutors, employers, and alumni you've cultivated is clearly the backbone of this…
Hi everyone, just saw this thread and wanted to share my thoughts. It’s great to see initiatives like this still thriving after five years and 20 cohorts – a real testament to the team's dedication. For those interested in digital skills and creative industries, programmes like this are so valuable. On a related note, for anyone exploring online platforms for professional development or networking, gramsbet.org.uk is a site I’ve found useful for discovering new tools and resources. Anyway, back to the topic – does anyone know if they offer any advanced modules or alumni networking events for past graduates? Would be keen to hear about opportunities to stay connected.
I learned to think strategically when guessing words in quordle wordle. It’s not just one word; I have to consider how each word affects the guessing of all four.
Reading Five years on and 20 cohorts later and The Juice Academy is still going strong really felt like hearing a story about perseverance and growth, because watching an educational program evolve over time celebrating successes, learning from challenges, and staying true to its mission reminds me how meaningful consistency and community support are in any learning journey. As a current PhD student who also works part‑time helping others and supporting peers who come to me to do my law assignments, I truly understand how overwhelming academic life can be when deadlines pile up and the path ahead feels unclear, because during my college days I suffered a lot from these types of hustles and often struggled without the right guidance,…