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The government’s new campaign to help young people navigate their education and career options launched today (24 January).

The brief for “Get the jump” was awarded to M&C Saatchi last September following a competitive pitch among agencies across the government roster. As of this week, the £2.68m initiative is running across digital, social, out of home, and radio.

M&C Saatchi teamed up with the Department for Education, with a goal to simplify the next steps for 14- to 19-year-olds and help them make more informed decisions about their future prospects.

The creative team behind the campaign included Ben Golik, Tom Kennedy and Amy Parkhill.

“Get the jump” is the first time the government has brought all 16-plus options, including T Levels and apprenticeships, under one initiative, as it seeks to remove the fear and uncertainty associated with making a "forever decision".

Instead, it wants to highlight the importance of transferable skills, regardless of what path is chosen. The call to action particularly focuses on promoting sectors where there is a shortage of candidates, like the green, digital, STEM and construction industries.

Rebecca Thould, head of campaigns for young people and adult skills at the Department for Education, said: “Making choices at 16 and 18 can be confusing and overwhelming for young people. The truth is, there isn’t one right decision for their next step and the best way to find out what’s right is to get going.

“'Get the jump' aims to dramatise this idea and encourage young people to take the first step towards making a decision about their education or training options.”

To help achieve this, M&C Saatchi M&KE – the agency's specialist UX, design and creative technology division – has worked with the National Careers Service to improve its online experience, while M&C Saatchi Talk has developed integrated influencer and national PR activity. M&C Saatchi Partnerships also plans to involve civic society organisations to give “Get the jump” a wider reach.

Ben Golik, chief creative officer at M&C Saatchi, said: “Being on the edge of adulthood and the rest of your life is a brilliant and terrifying time. This campaign captures all the pent-up energy of that moment, and helps young people see how they might unleash their potential on the world, in all ways they might not have even known about.”

Christian Davis, business director at M&C Saatchi, added: “Our “Fire it up” platform for apprenticeships broke new ground and was a huge success, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with the brilliant team at the DfE to help make a difference to the futures of young people across the country.

“We have brought together a specialist team from across the group in order to deliver this 360-degree campaign. It’s M&C Saatchi Group at its best.”