Skills, learning and development

We invest in a wide range of development programmes to help our people respond to a changing world and changing client needs.

Many of the programmes sit at an agency level so please check out our award-winning agency websites for more information or, if you work at WPP, contact your People team to understand what options are available to you.

We also create centralised programming which is open to everyone across the company. We have increased our focus on programmes which equip our people to work collaboratively and have doubled down on development opportunities for underrepresented groups. We aim to ensure we are building a robust pipeline of future leaders who bring diverse perspectives to WPP and to our clients.

These programmes include:

MAESTRO

An immersive and experiential programme designed to help senior client leaders explore, develop and hone their client leadership to build out their ability to be truly trusted business partners to their clients.

Inclusion as a Skill

When our people feel secure, safe and confident to share their ideas, it has a direct impact on creativity and the power of collaboration – which is our competitive advantage. Inclusion is not only ensuring we have diversity of thought, backgrounds and lived experiences – it’s also about embedding inclusion in our new ways of working.

This global, 12-week learning experience is designed to equip managers with practical tools to foster inclusion, unleash creativity and transform the way people feel, think and behave.

Future Readiness Academies

A unique global learning programme, centred around the four pillars of our offer – communications, experience, commerce and technology – to help our entire WPP community gain the skills and knowledge needed for success in a growing digital world.

Completion is rewarded with badges which can be used to update LinkedIn profiles and e-signatures.

Current Future Readiness Academies:

  • MarTech Academy
  • Commerce Academy
  • Metaverse & More Academy
  • Digital Fundamentals
  • Data & AI
  • Strategy & Innovation
  • Content & Channel Optimisation

#IamRemarkable

A series of interactive workshops, in partnership with Google, designed to empower women and other underrepresented groups at WPP around the globe to celebrate their achievements in the workplace and beyond.

If you work at WPP, you can find out more details about our courses and learning content here.

AI and technology

We dedicate considerable time and resources to providing our people – and emerging talent – with the tools and skills to excel in AI. In 2023, WPP people earned more than 34,000 accreditations and certifications from leading technology partners including Adobe, Google, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok.

New online learning programmes as part of our Future Readiness Academies included a Demystifying Data & AI Academy, developed by WPP experts in partnership with Circus Street and the Open Data Institute. In 2024, we introduced dedicated training for our teams on WPP Open and Creative Studio, aiming to expand the current global user base of 50,000 by encouraging even more participation across our network.

We also set up and run Creative Tech Apprenticeships and a Creative Data School, aimed at educating and inspiring future champions of AI. Since its launch, the School has provided technical training to over 6,000 young people across the UK.

In 2023, we sponsored a cohort of senior WPP leaders through a postgraduate Diploma in AI for Business at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School.

Early talent

Beyond our own people, we are passionate about providing opportunities for early career talent aspiring to join our industry, to learn, grow and collaborate with the brightest minds across WPP.

Please check our award-winning agencies’ websites for more information about their early talent opportunities and how to apply.