The Children’s TV Skills Council has announced a suite of new programmes to tackle industry skill shortages and ensure that children’s TV productions have access to a skilled and highly trained cohort.
Sarah Joyce, ScreenSkills’ Head of Unscripted and Children’s TV said: “The Children’s TV Skills Council is delighted to announce these exciting training opportunities. They focus on skill shortage areas and supporting those looking to develop their careers, but also encompasses training aimed at bringing people from under-represented groups into the sector.
"We hope these programmes will help shine a light on the wide-ranging opportunities that working in children’s TV has to offer.”
They include:
- Step up to line producer which will enable participants to gain the necessary skills and knowledge to make the move to line producer with confidence. Taught by a leading line producer in children’s TV, the programme will also give half of participants the opportunity to continue their learning on an industry placement, with funding from the Children’s TV Make a Move scheme. The programme is aimed at those at experienced and expert career stage and are currently working as production manager, assistant producer, location manager or production accountant.
- Script supervisor programme will provide participants with the skills required to work as a script supervisor on children’s drama. Selected trainees will be offered placements on an active production to work as a trainee script supervisor. Productions will be able to apply to the Children’s TV Make a Move fund to support these placements.
- Production manager training for those working in children’s TV is a full-time five-day course, which will give experienced PCs, junior PMs and PMs working in children’s TV the knowledge needed to take the next step into production manager roles, or to take on more challenging projects with confidence.
- An ambitious new programme offering 10 new entrants from under-represented backgrounds extensive support to start their career in children’s TV with training and a three-month paid placement, as well as coaching and mentoring. Placements will be available for trainee researchers, trainee production coordinators or trainee editors
- The popular Get The Knowledge online courses also return with three iterations:
Get the Knowledge: Essentials of working with under 18s
Get The Knowledge: The detail of working with under 18s
Get The Knowledge: Developing content for kids
In addition, the Children’s TV Skills Fund continues to offer subsidised trainee placements via Trainee Finder to productions that contribute to the Children’s TV Skills Fund, and funding for step-up on-the-job training via Children’s Make A Move as well as bursaries.