D&AD has launched applications for the 2022/23D&AD Shift with Google program in Sydney. The free, four-month night school will champion underrepresented voices and help self-made talent enter into a creative career. 

The program is delivered in conjunction with leaders from local industry including The Glue Society, The Monkeys, M&C Saatchi, Heckler and Amplify and will provide self-made talent with an opportunity to refine their creative skillset, build a network and develop their portfolios. It consists of real client briefs such as those previously set by global brands, Google, adidas and Kua, plus talks and mentorship, and will provide a supportive and educational space for creatives to gain an understanding of what it takes to work within the creative sector with the ultimate aim of uncovering, supporting and helping secure jobs. 

More than 60 agencies, 200 industry instructors and 60 mentors have participated and contributed so far in the program which runs in London, New York and Sydney, and will be launching in Germany in 2023. As a result, 71% of graduates have gone on to secure placements and jobs at leading creative companies. The inaugural edition in Sydney, which culminated in June 2022, has already resulted in the graduating cohort securing jobs at ABEL, Black Market Coffee, Exceptional Alien and Single O.

Applications open today and run until March 3 2023. Successful applicants will gain a place on the four-month night school running from April 21 2023, which will provide an opportunity to work on a diverse range of projects that reflect the latest trends and topics of the industry, brought together in a final showcase of creative work on 10 August 2023.

Further information including entry details and submission deadlines, can be found on the D&AD website.