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
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
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...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
29/05/2026
Genelec announces V2.1 for Aural ID binaural headphone monitoring application posted: 29/05/2026
Aural ID 2.1 enhances binaural monitoring for stereo and ...
29/05/2026
At just 20 years old, Sean Melia from Summerhill Co. Meath has been revealed as the winner of Super Garden 2026. Sean is the youngest ever contestant and winner...
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
