B&T has announced an ongoing collaboration with the Western Sydney Ad School (WSAS) as a part of the Changing the Ratio movement.

Based at the WSU campus in Parramatta, WSAS is the brainchild of Australian advertising legends Rocky Ranallo and Matt Smith.

After a much longer than expected wait, classes with the school will begin on November 14 and will run for 12 weeks with a break for Christmas in between.

WSAS is still taking enrolments and will be opening up places in next February’s semester before the end of the year.

Ranallo said: “It’s an affordable advertising course for people who can’t afford an advertising course, who don’t live in the more affluent Sydney suburbs or don’t have a dad or mum in the business.”

They’re looking for a more diverse range of students with different and original thinking.

B&T events director Vivian Luo said: “Having grown up in Parramatta and Blacktown, I was thrilled to hear about the launch of Western Sydney Ad School.

“We need to make our industry more accessible, not to mention, more attractive as a career option, to those who may not traditionally consider entering adland.

“Western Sydney Ad School is a great step towards making our industry more diverse, thus leading to more innovative and creative work.”

Enrolment numbers have been on the rise since B&T reached out to fellow diversity champions in the industry.

Cummins&Partners MD Kirsty Muddle said: “We’re big on diversity because it breeds original thinking, super charges creativity, creates the magic we and our clients are after.

“Rocky’s vision and the programme he has founded is a great way of feeding a pipeline of people we need in this industry.”

“The accessible price point, the location of the programme, the candidate profile and targeting make it appealing and easy for people from variegated cultural backgrounds and social economic groups to learn more about the Advertising industry and learn from the best.

“To the credit of the calibre in the Western Sydney Ad Schools curriculum, we’ve placed two students on the programme who both live in Western Sydney.”

Pluto Media CEO Peter Kirk said: “I think what Rocky is doing is a great thing, anytime you open up opportunities for people that wouldn’t have necessarily been able to have them due to social and economic factors, is wonderful. I wish them all the best”.

B&T will be offering free tickets to students to attend its 2020 Changing the Ratio conference, due to be launched later in the year.

Students will be given space to showcase their work and attendees will be encouraged to meet and chat with the students throughout the day.

B&T will also aim to connect students with mentors – if you’re keen to be a mentor or to help with enrolment efforts for the school, please contact Viv at viv@bandt.com.au.