CTE’s Design & Communication Career Day: a gateway to creative professions
Charles Telfair Education (CTE) and Curtin Mauritius, in collaboration with the Association of Communication Agencies (ACA), launched, on the 20th november, the first edition of the Design & Communication Career Day, an event aimed at young people considering a career in design and communication. The objective: to offer a concrete look into a sector that is rapidly evolving and actively recruiting.
Welcoming participants, Dr Jeremy Charoux, Executive Director of CTE, set the tone. “This Design & Communication Career Day is more than an event… it might be a spark.” He highlighted the institution’s 26-year commitment to creative education, its 2,000 graduates currently in the workforce, as well as the equipment and partnerships that support its programmes. For him, the collaboration with the ACA perfectly illustrates the essential link between education and industry.
Industry professionals then shared their very diverse career paths. Alexandra Avice, Head of Digital Communications & Strategic Planner at Circus, explained that nothing about her journey was linear: teaching, studying law, then a first job in community management before now leading digital. She recommended two main entry points for young people: strategy through community management, or content creation. What she looks for above all: resourceful people, able to “figure things out” and bounce back. Key skills remain strong writing, understanding what resonates with people, and video proficiency. As for the impact of AI, she remains confident: “Human beings want to talk to human beings. No AI has lived your life.”
Matthieu Benoît, Head of Customer Experience & Marketing at MCB, emphasised two essential qualities: curiosity and intuition. He encouraged young people to observe, read, draw inspiration from everything around them, and stay bold.
Yannis Sookloll, CEO & Chief Creating Officer of FCBCread, insisted on continuous learning. He also encouraged young people not to fear mistakes. “We’re all X-Men of emotions, each with a superpower. It’s by doing that we grow.”
For Vincent Montocchio, Managing Director & Chief Creative Officer of Circus, design and communication are tangible professions rooted in everyday life. He also reminded participants that real opportunities do exist.
Several industry partners - including Moris Pub Ogilvy, Gung Ho, FRCI and Circus - also presented promising career pathways and job opportunities for aspiring students. Closing the event, Kanya Santokhee, Head of Marketing at CTE, summed up the spirit of the day: “The goal was to build a bridge between young people and the industry. Today, you have truly crossed that bridge.”
This event delivered a simple message to young people: there is space, there are jobs, and there is a path for everyone. Sometimes, all it takes is a spark to begin.