Most degrees last three years, right? Well, Hugoversity can beat that – we’re four years old this month!
That’s right, Head Girl Charlotte launched the training academy and specialist recruitment service, sister to Harvey & Hugo, in September 2017, and we’ve been sharing our skills and expertise ever since.
Charlotte said: “Hugoversity came about really as we were doing such a good job with our clients that they really began to recognise the value of what we were doing and started to bring it in-house.
“My thinking was that, if we’re going to lose clients, I’d like to make money doing it, as well as help our clients to find the right people. They may well be experts at what they do, but they don’t always know the marketing people should be doing.
“That’s where the idea for helping them to work on strategies came from too, and offering training if their chosen candidate had gaps in their skillset.”
On the road
The very first session was held Darlington’s Forum music centre; very apt, as it is a former school.
Charlotte added: “Our first seminar was probably my favourite, although it was also a bit nerve-wracking. It was part of Darlington Business Week, which boosted attendance, and it was really well-received. Having all the old-school kit was great too, and people really enjoyed it.”
Since that very first lesson, we’ve held monthly seminars focusing on a whole range of PR and marketing issues, until the global pandemic put a spanner in the works.
Prefect Jenn said: “We’ve done so many different things over the past four years, but the common thread has been bringing people together to learn – as well as learning from them.
“It’s been really rewarding seeing how people really engaged with the idea, and seeing people not only coming to the seminars, but going out and putting the skills into practice.”
As Charlotte says: “Our philosophy has always been based on the famous Benjamin Franklin quote, ‘tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn,’, so it’s always great to see people really using what they’ve learnt.”
The future of Hugoversity
When the pandemic hit, like every other school and university, we switched to online learning.
And even now people are returning to face-to-face networking, the sessions, under the guidance of prefect Natalie, will continue to take a hybrid approach.
We all need to adapt to how people are working; many still don’t want to be meeting in person networking, or they may prefer smaller seminars that are more hands-on.
We’ve also launched the Common Room; a series of discussions on all the burning issues of the day, led by prefects Natalie and Elisha.
Natalie said: “It’s a really good time to be training staff, even if it’s virtually. Nothing is missed, the knowledge is all there and we just want to share it – so watch this space and see what we’ve got planned.”
For more information on any of our strategy, training or recruitment services, email study@hugoversity.com or call 01325 486666.
