A programme by Brandtech+ for The Animation School students is preparing these students for an AI-first industry.
Brandtech+ has partnered with SA creative schools to prepare talent for an AI-first industry (Image source: © 123rf
123rf)
As generative AI changes how advertising, design, animation and content are produced, students are preparing for careers that could look significantly different by the time they graduate.
Brandtech+ EMEA general manager, Andre van der Merwe, says the pace of change makes closer collaboration between industry and education increasingly important.
“AI isn’t removing the need for talented designers, animators, strategists or creatives. It is changing how those skills are applied.
“If industry waits until graduates arrive at our doors before exposing them to that reality, we have waited too long.”
Collaborations with schools
He says that is the thinking behind growing relationships with Red & Yellow Creative School of Business and The Animation School, spanning career exposure, curriculum input, workshops and workplace experience.
“During the year, we have participated in career initiatives at both institutions, introducing students to the changing creative landscape and opportunities emerging around AI.
He explains that the collaborations extend beyond career exposure, with industry input into curricula and workshops focused on how generative AI is being integrated into real creative environments.
“We believe that the industry has a responsibility to work alongside educational institutions to help prepare emerging talent for the realities and opportunities of AI-first creative work.”
From the classroom to global creative teams
This year, The Animation School students have participated in a two-week work-shadow programme with Brandtech+, working remotely alongside its global teams.
Applicants submit a motivation letter and lecturer recommendation, with senior creatives selecting participants.
“The programme provides young creatives with exposure to professional workflows and international brands at a stage in their careers when that level of access would ordinarily be difficult to obtain,” says van der Merwe.
“It also gives students first-hand experience of how AI is being incorporated into creative production rather than simply learning about the technology in theory.”
Kelly Walker, academic director at The Animation School, adds that the connection between experimentation and real-world application is critical.
“It was important to us that our AI research labs reflect the way we’ve always taught, and being connected to companies like Brandtech+ is playing a pivotal role in bringing together industry mentorship and real agency use cases into the learning experience, allowing our students to explore these tools in a meaningful and practical way.”
How students view AI
The Animation School student Shiven Padayachee participated in the programme.
“Honestly, it was a challenge, and that’s what made working with Brandtech+ so rewarding. The experience pushed me to think bigger, work smarter, and trust my creative intuition.
“The comfort zone is a place creativity dies, and Brandtech+ made sure we came out with more confidence to produce professional and high-quality work.”
That exposure also changed how students viewed AI as part of their own emerging professional skill sets.
Student Aubrey Mthimkhulu says seeing first-hand how AI is used in industry gave him valuable knowledge and the confidence to talk about AI in his portfolio and future interviews.
Other participants pointed to increased confidence and a better understanding of professional creative environments.
Enhle Vilakazi described the programme as an opportunity to “learn from professionals, build my confidence, and see how the industry works,” while Vizikhungo Booysen called the experience “enjoyable and eye-opening”.
Elizma Keyter 15 Oct 2026 A long-term investment in creative talent
Van der Merwe says the initiative is about sustained collaboration with creative education rather than immediate recruitment outcomes.
“Over the next two to three years, the ambition is to deepen collaboration with creative education institutions through curriculum input, workshops, workplace exposure and opportunities that help students understand where their skills could fit within an increasingly AI-enabled industry.”
He says that they don’t expect to run a workshop or careers day and see an immediate outcome.
“This is about building relationships consistently over several years and creating meaningful connections between education and industry.”
He adds that educational institutions cannot be expected to predict every technological change happening inside creative businesses.
“We are experiencing that change in real time, so industry has a responsibility to bring that knowledge back into education.”
“The opportunity is not simply to teach students how to use the latest AI tools, but to help develop creatives who understand how to combine emerging technology with the ideas, judgement, craft and critical thinking that remain fundamentally human,” he says.
“As the pace of change accelerates, ensuring young creatives are ready for the industry they will enter will increasingly require the industry itself to help prepare them.”
