MFA – The Media Federation of Australia has expanded its flagship MFA Foundations program, launching a new MFA Out-of-Home Foundations course in partnership with the Outdoor Media Association (OMA).
The move extends the MFA’s industry-recognised training framework into the out-of-home (OOH) channel, reinforcing its role as a leading powerhouse in media education in Australia.
Extending industry-standard media training into OOH
Trusted by thousands of media professionals, marketers, and media owners, MFA Foundations is widely regarded as the benchmark for foundational media training, setting standards across digital media, television, and now out-of-home.
Created by media experts, the program delivers a practical understanding of the media landscape, covering language and terminology, buying and trading models, and evaluation and measurement.
Participants who complete the courses earn professional certification through examinations.
Since launch, more than 10,000 people have gained certification across MFA Digital Foundations, MFA Television Foundations and MFA How to Buy TV Foundations, with marketers and media owners accounting for around 25% of participants.
New 10-week course launches in March
Launching on March 23, the MFA Out-of-Home Foundations course runs for 10 weeks and has been developed and tested by 25 out-of-home subject matter experts from MFA member agencies, in collaboration with the OMA.
The course covers the full OOH ecosystem, including planning and buying, and is delivered by a panel of 12 expert trainers to ensure participants receive current, practical and channel-specific insight.
Registrations are now open via the MFA website, here.
Industry leaders welcome the initiative
Aidan Ryan, dentsu Queensland’s head of investment and chair of the MFA’s Outdoor Futures Council, said the course addresses the growing complexity of the OOH channel.
“As a complex channel spanning multiple environments and formats – and with rigorous accountability introduced through MOVE launching in March – out-of-home demands a clear understanding,” Ryan said.
“This industry-leading course is designed to deliver exactly that, equipping media professionals, marketers and media owners with the practical knowledge they need to plan and deploy OOH in the most effective way possible.”
Elizabeth McIntyre, chief executive officer of the Outdoor Media Association, said the timing of the course was significant.
“It’s fantastic to partner again with the MFA on growing the industry and supporting the development of our incredible talent through the MFA Out of Home Foundations course,” McIntyre said.
“The course is an invaluable experience, and it comes at the perfect time with OMA’s MOVE audience measurement tool going live on 9 March.”
More updates
Registrations for the new course close on March 6.
In addition, MFA Digital Foundations will kick off the year with a major refresh, including fully updated content and a new AI-focused course to reflect the pace of change in the digital media landscape.
Industry panel
Morag Cahill – Avenue C
Aidan Ryan – dentsu
Rebecca Ho – Starcom
Tom Carlon – Initiative
Aaron Hampson – WPP Media
Jun Sayabath – UM
Bec Mitchell – Accenture
Sean Eustace – iProspect
Matt Fiorenza – WPP Media
Daniel O’Callaghan – Publicis
Anastasia Nicholas – OMD
Michael Emmerson – WPP Media
Top Image: the industry panel