Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

How skills and mentoring in media technology are starting to pay dividends

20/11/2024

Against a backdrop of broadcast companies finding it increasingly hard to recruit engineers and technicians, a wealth of initiatives tackling everything from VFX skills to diversity in beta-testing give cause for optimism

By David Davies

Published: November 20, 2024

Against a backdrop of broadcast companies finding it increasingly hard to recruit engineers and technicians, a wealth of initiatives tackling everything from VFX skills to diversity in beta-testing give cause for optimism

target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> Against a backdrop of broadcast companies finding it increasingly hard to recruit engineers and technicians, a wealth of initiatives tackling everything from VFX skills to diversity in beta-testing give cause for optimism

https://www.tvbeurope.com/business/how-skills-and-mentoring-in-media-technology-are-starting-to-pay-dividends title=Share via Email class=share-email>

So often, when the word skills' has occurred in the broadcast and media press in recent years, it has been followed immediately by the word crisis'. Cumulatively, the sense of an industry falling deeper into an existential malaise in which senior engineering and technical roles - as well as many junior positions, too - are increasingly difficult to fill has become ever-harder to ignore. Along the way, multiple background factors - most obviously the pandemic - have added to the uncertainty.

Whilst complacency about future skills issues has largely dissipated, there is plenty else to distract businesses right now. In a recent article for TVBEurope, Carrie Wootten, co-founder of the Global Media & Entertainment Talent Manifesto, highlighted the current ubiquity of the phrase survive to 25' as companies negotiate a complex web of business challenges and phenomenal technological change. She also cited multiple troubling statistics, including the IABM's finding that 80 per cent of its members are still struggling to recruit people into engineering and technical roles.

But if the response from individual companies seems to vary considerably, there is good reason to be cheered by the recent explosion in broader industry initiatives focused on improving the range and accessibility of broadcast and media training. From projects aimed at engaging with school children and students from diverse backgrounds and introducing them to the potential of careers in TV and radio production, to those geared towards ongoing training for people already embedded in the industry, it's fair to say that - from a cooperative perspective, at least - media education and training are enjoying something of a renaissance.

Industry ready One of the most prominent UK organisations working to build a fresh talent pipeline is The Global Academy, a University Technical College based at The Old Vinyl Factory complex in Hayes, Middlesex, previously the home of EMI's legendary pressing plant. Sponsored by commercial radio group Global, the college - which targets students aged between 14 and 19 - has grown from an initial 100 students to a current intake of around 500. Students joining at 14 complete their GCSEs alongside creative qualifications in media, art, business and digital, while a second group beginning their studies at 16 pursues a more focused curriculum around different elements of media and broadcast .

Assistant principal Jonathan Jacob has been involved since the Academy began in 2016. He recalls that a big part of the initial impetus was the need to provide the technical skills that young people were coming into the industry without - as well as a kind of commercial acumen [that they require]. So delivering practical hands-on training alongside a commercial entrepreneurship readiness has been a guiding light across the past eight years.

The college offers the new T Level Media, Broadcast and Production qualification. Unveiled in 2023, T Levels comprise a two-year qualification for 16-19 year-olds, equivalent to 3 A Levels, and designed in collaboration with employers. It includes a 45-day compulsory work placement, underlining the fact that what students are learning about is what's actually happening out in the industry .

The Academy's work continues to flourish in multiple directions. In addition to a really structured mentoring programme that entails 40 Global employees working with a student on a six-month basis to help them become industry-ready , the broadcasting arm of Global takes on between 8 and 12 graduates each year to become apprentices. The Academy will soon launch a Saturday school' aimed at 13- to 16-year-olds, whilst a commitment to growing diversity means that 65 per cent of its students come from non-white backgrounds.

Mentoring mission Whilst the Global Academy has a broad remit aimed at preparing young people for a wide range of media careers, ACCESS:VFX has a more specific emphasis on the visual effects and animation industries. A global non-profit comprising 70 studios, industry groups and educational establishments, the organisation has an explicit focus on pursuing and encouraging inclusion, diversity, awareness and opportunity under our four pillars of Inspiration, Education, Mentoring and Recruitment .

Founder Simon Devereux, who is also director of global talent development at Framestore, points to a dual focus that includes entry-level aspiring talent - people who are discovering visual effects - and on the flip side, people who are already in our industries. In both cases, an emphasis on under-represented communities is a key component: We want to create a space [for people who] don't necessarily see themselves represented within studios, so we create that network for them [which means they] can continue to grow and incubate that within the wider global industry.

Along with a busy yearly programme of
LINK: https://www.tvbeurope.com/business/how-skills-and-mentoring-in-media-t...
See more stories from tvb

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

19/03/2026

Study: Creator Content Plays Growing Role in Streaming Habits

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/03/2026

NAB Show: Studio Technologies to Debut New StudioComm System

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/03/2026

Ateme Verified for YouTube Live

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/03/2026

Roku Launches NCAA March Madness Zone

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/03/2026

Harmonic Makes NextGen TV Upgrades to XOS Media Processor

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/03/2026

FCC Removes More Drones from Covered List of Banned Products

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/03/2026

How Chris Bolte Builds the Sound of PlayStation Games

How Chris Bolte Builds the Sound of PlayStation Games Chris Bolte '16 is a technical sound designer at Sucker Punch Productions, where he helps create the...

18/03/2026

Net Insight Names Larissa GrnerMeeus CPO

Newly named chief product officer (CPO), Larissa G rner Meeus will return to Net Insight on May 4. Larissa G rner Meeus will become CPO of Net Insight on May 4...

18/03/2026

SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026: Select Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAY

SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026 explored how the sports broadcasting i...

18/03/2026

SVG's SportsTech@NABShow Blog Goes Live as Countdown to Vegas Heats Up

The 2026 NAB Show kicks off one month from today and SVG is once again set to cover the show from every angle. SVG's SportsTech@NAB Show Blog is now live - ...

18/03/2026

The Premiere of Dead Lover Showcases Grave Robbing and Sex With a Giant Finger

(L-R) The cast and crew of Dead Lover at The Ray Theater for its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo by Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for Sundan...

18/03/2026

Music Row Piano from Wiltone Productions

Yamaha C7 captured in Nashville Wiltone Productions have announced the release of Music Row Piano, a deeply sampled Yamaha C7 piano library that's been ...

18/03/2026

Techivation introduce T-Warmer Mk2

Bass-enhancement plug-in upgraded Along with a steady stream of new releases, Techivation have recently been revisiting some of the older plug-ins in their ...

18/03/2026

Tonal Balance Control 3 from iZotope

Mix-reference plug-in overhauled iZotope's powerful mix-referencing plug-in has just reached its third major version, and now boasts a new capture proce...

18/03/2026

Toontrack Transistor Organ EKX

Latest EZKeys 2 expansion arrives Toontrack's staggering collection of EZKeys 2 expansions has grown once again, and the latest instalment delivers a on...

18/03/2026

Jess Ho explores the politics of food in new SBS Audio podcast For The Culture

Jess Ho explores the politics of food in new SBS Audio podcast For The Culture 18 March, 2026 Media releases New SBS Audio podcast For The Culture, hosted ...

18/03/2026

Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz at NAB 2026

Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz...

18/03/2026

LCTWS 2026

London Calling - When The Industry Convened to Help Streaming Find its MoJo In this blog, Laura Rognoni reflects on key discussions from the Connected TV World...

18/03/2026

SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations

SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations Brie Clayton March 18, 2026 0 Comments SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, a...

18/03/2026

Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K

Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K Brie Clayton March 18, 2026 0 Comments LED wall virtual production blends 12K open gate acquisition w...

18/03/2026

Brainstorm transforms productivity and sustainability with Suite 7 at NAB Show 2026

Brainstorm transforms productivity and sustainability with Suite 7 at NAB Show 2...

18/03/2026

Neutrik To Showcase opticalCON ADVANCED Connectors At 2026 NAB Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/03/2026

SMPTE Details 2026 NAB Show Educational Sessions

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/03/2026

Ben Bradshaw Joins PSSI as Director, Product and Network Development

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/03/2026

Peter Thordarson Joins ASG as Technical Account Executive

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/03/2026

Survey: Voters Trust TV News Over AI, Social and Search

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/03/2026

2026 NAB Show Exhibitor Insight: Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

18/03/2026

SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations

SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today unveiled its educational presentations for the 2026 NAB Show. This year SMPTE will ...

18/03/2026

Maxon Marks Its Official Entry Into the AEC Market With I...

Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, gaming, and more, today ann...

18/03/2026

Digital Alert Systems NAB Preview 2026

Digital Alert Systems Preview 2026 NAB Show April 19 - 22 Booth C3452 At the 2026 NAB Show, Digital Alert Systems will showcase Version 6.0 of its DASDEC ...

18/03/2026

Setplex Transforms Video Streaming with AI and Super Aggr...

Setplex today announced that it will showcase its complete, fully integrated Zapflex platform for the first time at the 2026 NAB Show, introducing powerful new ...

18/03/2026

SES Announces Extension of Tender Offer

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE ...

18/03/2026

COW Jobs: Seeking DP for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago

COW Jobs: Seeking DP for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago Brie Clayton March 17, 2026 0 Comments Seeking Director of Photography for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...

18/03/2026

COW Jobs: Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago

COW Jobs: Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago Brie Clayton March 17, 2026 0 Comments Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy Feature Film- I...

18/03/2026

COW Jobs: Seeking Location, Sound for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago

COW Jobs: Seeking Location, Sound for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago Brie Clayton March 17, 2026 0 Comments Seeking Location/Sound for Low Budget Dramed...

18/03/2026

COW Jobs: Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Film - Chicago

COW Jobs: Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Film - Chicago Brie Clayton March 17, 2026 0 Comments Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...

18/03/2026

Calrec Redefines Broadcast Workflows at NAB 2026 with its Most Powerful Hardware, Virtual and Hybrid Audio Lineup Yet

Calrec Redefines Broadcast Workflows at NAB 2026 with its Most Powerful Hardware...

18/03/2026

Oscar Nominated Two People Exchanging Saliva Posted with DaVinci Resolve Studio

Oscar Nominated Two People Exchanging Saliva Posted with DaVinci Resolve Studio Brie Clayton March 17, 2026 0 Comments DaVinci Resolve Studio handle...

18/03/2026

Boston Conservatory Presents Celebrated Musical Satire Urinetown

Boston Conservatory Presents Celebrated Musical Satire Urinetown Performances for this Center Stage production will take place at Boston Conservatory Theater ...

18/03/2026

Charlie Puth Joins Switched On Pop at Berklee NYC

Charlie Puth Joins Switched on Pop at Berklee NYC The Berklee alum spoke with host and Berklee NYC professor Charlie Harding for a live taping, answering audi...

18/03/2026

X-Rite Pantone Demonstrates Advanced Color Management Solutions to Support Smart Manufacturing at MAX and American Coatings Show

X-Rite Pantone Demonstrates Advanced Color Management Solutions to Support Smart...

18/03/2026

BAFTA winner James McAvoy to star in Sky Original series Meantime, based on the novel by Frankie Boyle

Wednesday 18 March 2026 BAFTA winner James McAvoy to star in Sky Original serie...

18/03/2026

Sky Sports and Zuffa Boxing announce multi-year agreement for the UK and Ireland

Wednesday 18 March 2026 Sky Sports and Zuffa Boxing announce multi-year agreement for the UK and Ireland Sky Sports and Zuffa Boxing have announced a new mult...

18/03/2026

Sky Unveils Poster and Trailer for Original Feature Film Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom

Wednesday 18 March 2026 Sky Unveils Poster and Trailer for Original Feature Fil...