The Design Mechanics were recognised as the highly commended employer at the annual Lifelong Learning Network (WYLLN) awards ceremony in Leeds.

Creative Director Dave Pannell received the award on behalf of the work The Design Mechanics have done in improving the standard of graduates entering the industry and our policy of always having placement students working alongside the permanent team.  In conjunction with Wakefield College, Dave helped write a new Foundation Degree (FdA) in Webside Design that focused on training people to enter the industry, not just how to be creative designers.

Dave commented “Many design courses really let their graduates down, they farm them off into the industry with no idea about graphic design as a business.  They are taught nothing about the reality of working within a commercial environment.  In essence we, as a business, had to fill in all the really basic gaps that they should have learnt in education.  That’s why I jumped at the opportunity to help write a new kind of design course, one that not only teaches the design side but also all the hard business skills – such as how to work out hourly rates, how to manage client relationships, how to cost a project and make sure you don’t lose your company money through poor work ethics.  I think the award from WYLLN just goes to show what an impact the new FdA course has achieved, than and the number of graduates who are walking straight into jobs from the course – including with ourselves”.

For more information about the FdA in Web Design see http://www.fda-web-design.co.uk/