19.2% fall in under-25s hired across IPA member agencies in the last year alone.

Graduate schemes are shrinking. Junior roles are vanishing. Employers want experience that young people haven't been given the chance to gain. That's the gap First Flight exists to close - and it starts with you.

First Flight is Liberty Hive's new programme for exceptional 18–23 year-olds breaking into advertising, media and marketing - and the employers ready to back them. If you're starting out, it's real mentoring, real experience, and introductions technology can't replace. If you're hiring, it's early access to the sharpest junior talent before anyone else sees them.

A COMMUNITY BUILT TO GET YOU FLYING, NOT ANOTHER CV DATABASE

First Flight isn't a job board. It's a curated, capped community of up to 30 exceptional 18–23 year-olds, connected directly with employers who are ready to invest in junior talent - at a fraction of the usual cost of hiring.

We built it because the maths doesn't work for anyone right now. Entry-level roles are disappearing, so young people can't get the experience employers ask for. And employers are losing access to the next generation of talent before they've even had the chance to prove themselves. First Flight closes that gap from both sides.

First Flight is delivered in partnership with Realview Marketing, bringing their industry expertise and network to the mentoring and experience we offer every candidate.

At the heart of the programme is a 2-day workshop, giving candidates hands-on, real-world experience alongside the mentoring and employer introductions - the practical grounding that graduate schemes used to provide.

FOR CANDIDATES

If you're 18–23 and ready to take your first step into advertising, media, marketing or creative careers, First Flight gives you:

• Mentoring from people already working in the industry

• Real experience, not just advice

• Direct introductions to employers actively looking to hire junior talent

• A small, supportive community — not a database you disappear into

FOR EMPLOYERS

If you're hiring, First Flight gives you:

• Early access to a vetted pool of driven, capable junior talent

• A reduced-cost way to build your pipeline of future hires

• The chance to shape the next generation of your industry — and back the people who'll fill it

• A more human alternative to trawling graduate scheme applications

Missed the launch webinar, or want to watch it again?

You can catch the full recording below, including everything we covered on what the programme involves and how to make your application stand out.