Plans to launch the USW Graduate Freelancer Agency, managed by Richie Turner and the Startup Stiwdio, are gathering pace. Springboard Intern Millie Sutherland-O’Gara has been recruited to support the initiative and is reaching out to students past and present.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Millie explains, “there’s certainly a call for it. Many local businesses have historically wanted to hire grads and have approached staff for recommendations, but usually staff are too busy to manage these requests. Now we will have somewhere concrete to direct them and a platform for graduates to find contracts and market themselves, all in one place.”
The Agency is set to launch in summer 2022, and the search is on to sign up the first cohort of creative graduates.
“If you are a creative industries graduate (or set to graduate this summer) then we want to hear from you.
The creative industries are known for potentially toxic work practices: crunch timescales, exploitation, underselling. With the Stiwdio Freelancer Agency, we have a real chance to address those issues- and prove that modern creatives can deliver content on time, on their own terms, with no need for such practices. It marks a real step forward.”
All previous graduates and alumni are invited to apply for the agency, which will take on marketing and promotion and procure clients from all sectors of the creative sphere for their freelancers. Freelancers in other sectors such as computer programming, cyber security, sports coaching and therapies will be invited to join later in the year.
The Startup Stiwdio has already had great success with its Cardiff and Newport incubators, as graduate businesses have a base for operations and guidance from its dedicated business support services.
The Freelancer Agency will be yet another channel for USW grad entrepreneurs to market themselves, and somewhere for those fresh out of uni to establish a grounding in the world of business.
“The care doesn’t stop when you graduate, and that’s one of the special things about USW. A lot of institutions are happy to release you into the wild the second they hand over the degree certificate, but that’s not enough. This initiative creates a bridge between university and industry, and after all, that’s why a lot of us chose USW in the first place!”
To sign up and register your interest, go to:
Cofrestru gweithwyr llawrydd graddedig PDC
https://forms.gle/HzZWXY8xa9EPqxCH6
For more information, contact
millicent.sutherland-ogara@southwales.ac.uk//
Mae cynlluniau i lansio Asiantaeth Gweithwyr Llawrydd Graddedigion PDC, a reolir gan Richie Turner a’r Startup Stiwdio, yn codi cyflymder. Mae Springboard Intern Millie Sutherland-O’Gara wedi cael ei recriwtio i gefnogi’r fenter ac mae’n estyn allan i fyfyrwyr ddoe a heddiw.
“Mae wedi bod yn amser hir yn dod,” eglura Millie, “yn sicr mae ‘na alw amdano. Yn hanesyddol, mae llawer o fusnesau lleol wedi bod eisiau llogi graddau ac wedi cysylltu â staff am argymhellion, ond fel arfer mae staff yn rhy brysur i reoli’r ceisiadau hyn. Nawr bydd gennym rywle pendant i’w cyfeirio a llwyfan i raddedigion ddod o hyd i gontractau a marchnata eu hunain, i gyd mewn un lle.”
Bydd yr Asiantaeth yn cael ei lansio yn haf 2022, ac mae’r chwilio ymlaen i gofrestru’r garfan gyntaf o raddedigion creadigol.
“Os ydych chi’n un o raddedigion y diwydiannau creadigol (neu’n bwriadu graddio yr haf hwn) yna rydyn ni eisiau clywed gennych chi.
Mae’r diwydiannau creadigol yn adnabyddus am arferion gwaith a allai fod yn wenwynig: amserlenni crasu, ecsbloetiaeth, tanwerthu. Gydag Asiantaeth Gweithwyr Llawrydd y Stiwdio, mae gennym gyfle gwirioneddol i fynd i’r afael â’r materion hynny- a phrofi y gall pobl greadigol fodern ddarparu cynnwys ar amser, ar eu telerau eu hunain, heb angen arferion o’r fath. Mae’n nodi cam go iawn ymlaen.”
Gwahoddir yr holl raddedigion a chyn-fyfyrwyr blaenorol i wneud cais am yr asiantaeth, a fydd yn ymgymryd â marchnata a hyrwyddo a chaffael cleientiaid o bob sector o’r maes creadigol ar gyfer eu gweithwyr llawrydd. Bydd gweithwyr llawrydd mewn sectorau eraill fel rhaglennu cyfrifiadurol, seiberddiogelwch, hyfforddi chwaraeon a therapïau yn cael eu gwahodd i ymuno yn ddiweddarach yn y flwyddyn.
Mae’r Stiwdio Sefydlu eisoes wedi cael llwyddiant mawr gyda’i incubators yng Nghaerdydd a Chasnewydd, wrth i fusnesau graddedig gael sylfaen ar gyfer gweithrediadau ac arweiniad gan ei wasanaethau cymorth arbennig i fusnesau.
Bydd yr Asiantaeth Gweithwyr Llawrydd yn sianel arall eto i entrepreneuriaid gradd PDC farchnata eu hunain, a rhywle i’r rhai sy’n ffres allan o brifysgol i sefydlu sylfaen ym myd busnes.
“Dyw’r gofal ddim yn stopio pan chi’n graddio, a dyna un o’r pethau arbennig am PDC. Mae llawer o sefydliadau’n hapus i’ch rhyddhau i’r gwyllt yr ail maen nhw’n trosglwyddo’r dystysgrif gradd, ond dyw hynny ddim yn ddigon. Mae’r fenter hon yn creu pont rhwng y brifysgol a’r diwydiant, ac wedi’r cyfan, dyna pam y dewisodd llawer ohonom ni USW yn y lle cyntaf!”
I gofrestru a chofrestru’ch diddordeb, ewch i:
Cofrestru gweithwyr llawrydd graddedig PDC
https://forms.gle/HzZWXY8xa9EPqxCH6
Am fwy o wybodaeth, cysylltwch
millicent.sutherland-ogara@southwales.ac.uk//