McCann Manchester has struck gold with its approach to talent development, having been recognised by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) with a prestigious Gold Standard accreditation for the fifth time.

The agency, which now has nearly 400 staff divided between its Bonis Hall Campus, its nearby 30,000sq ft studio and Manchester city centre office, is one of only 39 in the UK to achieve Gold accreditation.

The award is the latest in a series of successes for the agency’s approach to talent development and diversity having been recognised as a Disability Confident Employer earlier this year and successfully launching the eighth intake of its highly successful apprenticeship scheme in late 2018.

To achieve the Gold Level IPA CPD accreditation, agencies must demonstrate how their holistic approach to continuous professional development enables business success.

The judges praised the “vibrant CPD culture” and the “plentiful learning opportunities open to all”, on offer. They added, “They have some great initiatives which move away from conventional courses to find inspiration outside the agency. Particularly impressive is how they seek feedback from staff to inform future plans.”

Louise Jackson, Talent & Development Director at McCann Manchester, said, “We’re absolutely thrilled to have won Gold - over the past 12 months we’ve broadened our approach to L&D while maintaining a real focus on how activity relates to our business objectives. We’ve enhanced the diversity of our learning provision and added a more experiential and immersive element to bring skills development to life.

“This has seen us work with a range of speakers and trainers ranging from industry leaders such as Dave Trott and Rory Sutherland – in collaboration with NABS - to a leading Police hostage negotiator.”

Karen Buchanan, Chief Executive of McCann Manchester said: “Attracting the best talent and retaining and developing our people is critical to our success. Continuous learning and development initiatives are at the heart of our people strategy and we are already working to move into the next level in 2019 and beyond.”