Sam takes his place among creative elite

Sam Jones (21) who won a place on the Manchester Masters graduate scheme

A FAILSWORTH student has proved himself to be one of the borough’s top creative talents after winning a new initiative.

Sam Jones, from Hulmes Road, is one of 10 students to win a place on the Manchester Masters graduate scheme, a new initiative to attract and retain the best creative talent in Manchester.

The 21-year-old competed against more than 130 other 2009 graduates from Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan, Bolton and Salford universities, before being selected as one of the 10 winners.

Each entrant made a short video which was assessed by a panel of judges.

The top 50 applicants were then invited to take part in a boot camp — in the style of television’s “X-factor” — which stretched their creativity and business acumen to the limit with a series of challenges and interviews.

The winners will now undertake four periods of work experience with some of Manchester’s leading creative agencies and organisations, such as Moo Marketing, The Entertainment Guide Website and JW Lees.

Sam, who works as a radio presenter on Manchester Radio Online, said: “I didn’t ever expect to win but I really enjoyed the selection process and it was a great experience.

“I’ve just completed a degree in TV and Radio Production at Salford University so I’m looking forward to try something new.”

Sandy Lindsay, project director for Manchester Masters and Tangerine PR managing director, said: “It was very encouraging to see the calibre of entrants was so high for our first competition.

“I think students appreciate the need for a strong portfolio of work experience to match their academic achievements.

“This provides them with the perfect platform to launch a successful career in Manchester.”

Manchester Masters was created as part of Innovation Manchester, an initiative to find ways to make — as the name suggests — Manchester an even more innovative city.