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M&C Saatchi launched Open House, which is a free, eight-week course, in July and claims to have had more than 1,500 people signing up globally, with more than 700 of those actively participating each week. It is designed to remove barriers for people who want to break into the communications industry but have not had the support, connections or access to do so.

Participants will be invited to take part in a pitch process at the end of the course, which will be judged by Simon Groves, O2’s director of brand and marcoms, who will also offer feedback.

Nina Bibby, chief marketing officer at O2, said: “At O2, inclusivity helps us to build the very best teams, who can truly reflect the diverse values of the customers we serve. So we’re delighted to support Open House, an important programme seeking to make the industry more accessible to all. Together with M&C, I’m looking forward to exploring how we can nurture future talent and open doors to the brightest minds.”

Camilla Kemp, chief executive of M&C Saatchi, added: “We created Open House to level the playing field and invite a broader range of people to access our industry. We want to give absolutely anyone and everyone the opportunity to learn the tricks of the trade. As a brand which makes creating a fair and equal landscape central to everything it does, O2 is the perfect partner for our initiative. We’re delighted that the O2 team is going to be helping us select the talent that will shape our future.”