Acadium

Acadium, formerly known as GenM, is an online platform that provides students with free, hands-on marketing experience to launch their careers. It connects students with industry experts through online courses and fully remote, online apprenticeships with vetted businesses. The platform aims to make the barrier to entry for starting a new career as low as an internet connection.

Acadium is designed for students looking to gain real-world work experience and mentorship in digital marketing. Small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs can also use the platform to get up to 40 hours a month of extra help on their marketing efforts by mentoring an apprentice.

To get started, students can take online courses created by industry experts and then gain real-world work experience through a fully remote, online apprenticeship. Businesses can sign up for a membership plan to access marketing apprentices and get a team that will source, vet, and match them with candidates.

Acadium offers a Quarterly Membership for $997 USD, which includes access to 1 apprentice working 10 hours per week over a 3-month period, totaling 120 hours. An Annual Membership costs $2,497 USD and includes access to 4 apprentices with similar terms, offering a 37% discount compared to the quarterly plan.

Apprentices are expected to work 10 hours per week in exchange for 1-2 hours of mentorship and guidance from the business. The apprentice will require direction, tasks, feedback, and constructive criticism, similar to any new employee joining an organization.

If you are unsatisfied with your apprentice or something happens, you may request a new match at any time by reaching out to the customer service team. The team is available to answer questions about your account and can be contacted at hello@acadium.com.

The platform is user-friendly and has helped users gain practical experience in their field of interest. Users have praised the mentors for being knowledgeable, supportive, and providing valuable guidance throughout the apprenticeship.

As of the latest reviews, Acadium has a Trustburn rating of 4.3 out of 5 from 12 reviews. The most recent reviews are from November 2023, and the feedback is generally positive, with some users giving 5-star ratings for the platform's ease of use and mentorship quality.

Acadium sources its talent from various platforms and locations such as LinkedIn, academic institutions, online forms, and social media. The apprentices come from all over the world, with a good portion being North American based (US & Canada), but users can request a specific geographic location when signing up.

After completing the 3-month apprenticeship, users may hire their apprentice for a full-time, part-time, or contract position. Acadium does not require any finders fees, which could be upwards of a few thousand dollars, making it a cost-effective way to source talent.

Acadium offers a variety of free marketing courses including Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Paid Advertising, SEO, Email Marketing, Content Marketing, Website Design, Marketing Analytics, Public Relations, Affiliate Marketing, and Influencer Marketing.

One-click contracts are provided for each apprenticeship, which are good for 3 months and include approximately 120 hours of work from the apprentice. This streamlined process helps businesses quickly onboard and manage their marketing apprentices.

The platform allows businesses to start each apprenticeship whenever they wish, even having start dates overlap or having multiple apprentices start and work at the same time. This flexibility is part of the Annual Membership option, which is the most popular choice.

Acadium's mission is to accelerate economic mobility by enabling anyone to launch and build a career for free. The company believes that anyone, anywhere, should be able to get the skills and experience needed to start a career without barriers like price, schedule, or location.

You can reach Acadium by e-mail at hello@acadium.com.