The ScreenSkills Apprenticeship Programme is an exciting opportunity for 20 people to undertake a paid apprenticeship with Netflix and WarnerMedia group.
The key facts you need to know if you are thinking about applying
The successful applicants will be employed by ScreenSkills (the industry-led body for skills in the screen industries) and will undertake work placements with Netflix and WarnerMedia group as well as training away from the job with a training provider (a college or private sector training provider).
The apprentices will train to become either:
You can see the job description for the assistant production accountant here and the broadcast production assistant here. Details of what we will be looking for in successful candidates are set out below.
There are 10 places available for the assistant production accountant apprenticeship and 10 for broadcast production assistant.
The assistant production accountant apprenticeship will last for approximately 17 months and broadcast production assistant will take approximately 14 months from a provisional start date of 1 July. Those durations will be reflected in your fixed-term contract with ScreenSkills.
The industry placements that are an important part of the training may be available in various parts of the country, and successful applicants may need to commute or relocate temporarily during placements and for attendance at the training provider. We can’t provide funding for that, but we will do our best to minimise the need for travel or relocation and provide other support, such as advice on finding somewhere to live where necessary.
The apprentices will be paid an annual salary of £19,565 (the current London living wage) for a paid week of 35 hours (plus overtime as required).
Applications will be particularly welcome from people in groups currently under-represented in the screen industries. Read more about diversity and inclusion in the screen industry.
The application process – how to register your interest and what happens next
Individuals who may wish to apply for the apprenticeship should sign up to our newsletter and we will send a special alert when applications open. (If you just enter your email, you get our core newsletter. If you are interested in more detailed newsletters on what we do in film, high-end TV, television or children's TV, then you can tick the extra boxes.) This is expected to be in early March 2020. No further information will be available before then. Applications are expected to be open for three weeks.
The selection process will include a full day’s bootcamp/group assessment (including numeracy and literacy tests). This is expected to take place in between 3-9 April 2020 and will include useful information on the industry. A certain number of candidates will then go through to an interview which will be held in London at a date expected to take place between 13-29 April 2020. The programme is scheduled to run from early summer 2020 to autumn 2021.
Eligibility criteria
Aside from GCSEs (A*-C/9-4) in maths and English, no further qualifications or experience will be a requirement for applicants. However, in order to apply you should meet the following criteria:
- You must love film and TV, consuming screen content on a regular basis
- You must want to pursue a career specifically in film and television production
- You must be able to travel nationwide responding to the needs of the production schedule and be able to attend shooting locations as well as the training provider
- You must live in England and have the right to work in the UK
- You must not already have an accountancy qualification at level 3 (equivalent to A’ Level) if you wish to pursue the assistant accountant apprenticeship (this is due to rules about apprenticeship funding and recognition of prior learning, which you can read about here)
- You must have already achieved maths and English GCSEs (Grade A*-C/ 9-4)
- The ScreenSkills Apprenticeship scheme is aimed at school leavers who have not completed a degree course but if your degree is in an unrelated subject you may be eligible to apply
Background
The ScreenSkills Apprenticeship Programme is an innovative new scheme supported by the Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to enable more people to get into the film and TV industries through an apprenticeship. It will include exciting placements at Netflix and Warner Bros.
ScreenSkills will employ the apprentices, organise an induction day to prepare successful candidates to be able to make the most of their placements and appoint the training provider.
ScreenSkills will also organise the industry placements with Netflix and WarnerMedia group. Netflix productions in 2020 will include The Crown, Bridgerton and The Witcher. Across the WarnerMedia group, including Warner Bros. and HBO, productions will include The Batman, Fantastic Beasts 3 and season two of Pennyworth. It will not be possible to confirm which productions the apprentices will work on until recruitment has been completed. HBO shows filming in the UK this year include The Nevers.
ScreenSkills is committed to diversity and equality of opportunity in all aspects of our work. We particularly welcome applications from people in groups under-represented in the screen industries such as those who are returning to work after a break for parenting or caring, women, people who are LGBTQ+, from minority ethnic backgrounds, with a disability, impairment, learning difference or long-term condition, from different nations and regions, from a less advantaged socio-economic background as well as any other under-represented group. You can read more about ScreenSkills' commitment to diversity and inclusion in the screen industry here.
FAQs
- When will the apprenticeship be open for applications? Early March 2020
- When is the closing date for applications? Applications will be open for three weeks and the closing date will be confirmed once open
- What happens if I apply after the deadline has closed? Your application will not be considered
- Can I apply for both apprenticeships? Yes
- What if I’m still in full-time education in July 2020? You will not be eligible for this programme
- When will I hear back about my application? Successful candidates who will progress to the next stage will be notified early April 2020
- When will the interviews take place? – The two-stage selection progress consists of an assessment day expected to take place between 3 and 9 April and an interview, sometime between 13 and 29 April 2020
- Where will the assessment day and interviews take place? They will be in London
- Can I get financial help to travel to the assessment day and interview? We are looking at that and will let applicants know
- What will happen at the assessment day? We are working up the details, but it will involve a range of group exercises designed to identify individuals most likely to benefit from the apprenticeship, plus literacy and numeracy tests
- What sort of questions are likely to be asked at the interview stage? Questions about your experiences so we can understand what you can already do and what you are capable of doing. We will be looking to make connections between the job you are applying for and your achievements, interests, school or college projects and other activities that can help you to demonstrate skills and experience that are relevant to the job
- What happens if I am successful in my application, but I don’t live near where the industry placements are taking place and/or the training course? It is possible you may need to commute or even relocate temporarily to work at placements or attend the training course. We don’t have funding for that, but we will do our best to provide other support, such as advice on how to find somewhere to live
- What hours will I be expected to do? Your contract will be for 35 hours paid week. However, when you are on an industry placement, you may be required to do considerably more hours for which you will be paid overtime in line with the normal rules within Netflix and WarnerMedia
- I don’t know if I’m eligible for this scheme, what should I do? Please refer to eligibility criteria
- If I’m busy/working on a bootcamp or interview date, can I still take part in this programme? We may be able to offer an alternative interview date, but the bootcamp/assessment days are not flexible and are a compulsory part of the process
- I’m under 18, but I really want to start working, can I apply? All applicants must be 18 or over on or before 30 June 2020
- I’m 17 but will be 18 by the time the placements starts, can I still apply? As long as you will be 18 by 30 June 2020, you can apply
- I live outside England, can I still apply? This programme is not open to people who live in Wales, Scotland, Ireland or elsewhere outside England
- I’m currently living outside England but will be moving to England by the time the application opens on 2 March 2020: can I still apply? Yes, as long as you can show that you have the right to work in the UK and will be living in England for the duration of the apprenticeship programme
- My referees/previously employers were outside the UK/don’t speak English, can I still use them? Unfortunately, we are not able to translate references that are not in English
- What is the time commitment if I’m on the programme? – The broadcast production assistant apprenticeship is 14 months in duration and the assistant accountant is 17 months. You will be on a full-time contract for the duration of the apprenticeship, so you will need to be available to work and study for the whole period
- What is the pay if I’m on the programme? – The annual salary will be £19,565 (London living wage) for apprentices on either apprenticeship, plus overtime as required
- If I am successful, when will I start on the programme? The provisional start date is 1 July 2020
- Will I be eligible for holiday during the programme? – As an employee of ScreenSkills you will receive 25 days of paid leave per year. When you can take it will need to be negotiated and agreed with ScreenSkills and the host employer
- If I have a degree, am I eligible to apply? – The ScreenSkills Apprenticeship scheme is aimed at school leavers who have not completed a degree course but if your degree is in an unrelated subject you may be eligible to apply
- If I have a level 3 qualification (equivalent to A level) in accountancy, can I apply for the assistant production accountant apprenticeship? No because the apprenticeship is a level 3 qualification and you are not eligible for funding if you have a previous level 3 qualification in accountancy due to the rules governing funding which recognises prior learning. However, accountants are in demand in the screen industries, so you may be able to use your qualification anyway. You can read more about being a production accountant here.
- If I have a level 3 qualification (equivalent to A level) in media, can I apply for the broadcast production assistant? It will depend on the nature of your media qualification. We will answer detailed questions when applications open
- If I am successful in my application, who will be my manager during the apprenticeship? You will be an employee of ScreenSkills so your formal line manager will be from there. But you will also have a day-to-day line manager from Netflix or WarnerMedia when you are on a work placement
- Will I gain a recognised qualification? At the end of the apprenticeship, you take a practical test (called the end-point assessment). As long as you pass, you will receive a recognised apprenticeship certificate. Those who have done the assistant production accountant apprenticeship may also attain a recognised accountancy qualification
- If I fail my end-point assessment, can I retake it? Yes, although we and the training provider will do our best to support you so that isn’t necessary
- What happens at the end of the apprenticeship? The contract is fixed term until the end of the apprenticeship. However, we will do our best to support you to move into further employment when the apprenticeship finishes, whether as a freelancer or as a contracted employee. And, of course, you will have gained skills and experience that are very much in demand in the industry. As long as you pass at the end, you will also have the apprenticeship qualification