Whether you’re just starting out or considering a later-in-life career change, having a helping hand for the journey ahead is an invaluable asset. Operated by Screen Yorkshire in partnership with ScreenSkills, the Centre of Screen Excellence: Yorkshire -- or CoSE:Y for short -- has been bridging the gap between education and employment since 2020, by offering film and TV craft courses catering to local talent of all ages and with a range of transferable skills. Taking pride in its ability to connect productions with local talent trained by experienced industry professionals, Centre of Screen Excellence: Yorkshire is teaching newcomers the key essentials that make them valuable on-set assets, and nurturing a new crop of skilled talent in the region that will ultimately help solidify its future.
Overseeing this key work is Beatrice Neumann, Screen Yorkshire’s Head of Skills and Industry Engagement. With a background in film sales and distribution, Beatrice has worked in various screen production roles throughout her career, has extensive experience in talent training and mentoring and also spent time in education as an associate lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University. Combined, this hands-on knowledge of the sector and academia uniquely positions Beatrice as an expert with the skills to identify both the issues impacting graduates and industry employers, with the insight and experience required to devise practical solutions that benefit both.
“When I was working in the industry, I always felt that there was a gap between education and finding a job and there didn’t seem to be much to help graduates bridge it, especially if you’re not from a privileged background, lack connections or the ability to work for free. This is where the Centre of Screen Excellence: Yorkshire comes in,” says Beatrice. According to Neumann, the real issue lies with expectation. While many universities train graduates for careers in vocations like directing, writing, editing and sound, the real world operates much differently. “The moment they enter the industry, they’re new entrants and the jobs they’ll be doing are at runner-level,” Beatrice explains. “Graduates have to start at the bottom and it takes them quite a while to get their head around that.”
To alleviate this problem, CoSE:Y offers hands-on film and TV craft courses delivered by working industry professionals designed to blur the lines between education and paid employment. The courses are designed to plug gaps identified in the crew talent pipeline locally and across the UK, which are reviewed and have changed in response to industry needs. The six CoSE:Y 2023 courses are in Lighting, Hair & Make-Up, Costume, Art Direction & Props, My First Factual TV Job and Production Assistant (scripted), in earlier editions it also included a Grip course. Replicating real working environments and based in an industry work environment where possible (currently at Prime Studios in Leeds), the courses are designed to be accessible to applicants who may have no previous experience in the industry but have transferable skills and a true desire to forge a career in the industry. Taught by industry professionals and including work experience modules wherever possible, the CoSE:Y courses offer applicants real world experience of a career on a working set. “We work with more practical skills that aren’t as common in university degrees.” says Neumann. “In Yorkshire, we have a really broad range of people who make up our cohorts. Some are fresh from university and others graduated a while ago but couldn’t get a foothold. We have a lot of late-career changes too and it’s really satisfying to see that they can thrive later in life building on full careers elsewhere.”
When it comes to training, authenticity is key: “We try to be as practical as we can. All of our CoSE:Y courses are taught by industry practitioners -- people who are all active in up-to-date industry practices and challenges. What students get taught is what they really need to know and this is backed up by the feedback that we have received from both our trainees and the industry partners taking on our alumni for placements and paid work What’s more, the Centre doesn’t stop once training is complete. After students have learned a new trade, Neumann’s team will stay in touch and help them with those all-important first steps on their new career path. “Our favourite thing is if students go straight into paid employment because that gives them the credits they need to set them on their way. More than a third of last year’s cohort went straight into paid jobs and the majority of trainees placed on productions followed this up with paid work and now have the qualifying credits to sign up to our crew services, industry career websites and other crew services around the country. For those who need a little longer to get there we support them through our trainee hub, which is our dedicated new entrant crew service open to all our craft alumni who still need to achieve those all important credits.”
In order to facilitate this pipeline, CoSE:Y works closely with employers and the sector at large to spot skills droughts and fill them with the required training. By surveying the productions offering placements, Neumann’s team is able to not only gain valuable feedback on the effectiveness of their work, but collaborate on innovative new training techniques. “We get tips from industry on what employers want to see more of.” reveals Neumann, detailing this crucial dialogue. “For example, not every tutor had spent an enormous amount of time showing students how to properly read a call sheet so that’s something we’re addressing with our next edition.”
Teaching students the importance of set etiquette before their first day on a real job is another essential ingeredient in the centre’s collaborative work with employers. Together with MetFilmSchool Leeds and Prime Studios where CoSE:Y’s activity is currently based, the centre’s latest cohort will be working with performers, directing and writing students to replicate the conditions of a real working set in a professional studio environment. “They’re writing a script which they can shoot with our craft talent,” smiles Neumann, “so everybody coming out of the Centre of Screen Excellence: Yorkshire will have had a real on-set experience before they even get to placements or their first job.”
This immersive form of training is already grabbing the attention of those responsible for crewing the productions that pass through Yorkshire. With CoSE:Y graduates already familiar with the day-to-day expectations of a busy set, they’re increasingly in high demand. “We have a lot of productions and people who employ trainees like Heads of Production and Producers who now know we exist and come to us saying they had a really great experience with our trainees and asking if they can plan ahead to take on more. That’s kind of what you want to happen,” smiles Neumann. “Our trainees from 2020 – 22 have gone on to work on major film & TV productions, including: Emmerdale, Malpractice, Jamie Johnston FC, Bonus Track, The Crown, The Railway Children Return, Gentleman Jack, All Creatures Great and Small, The Hacienda: The Club That Shook Britain, Forensic: Catching the Killer, The Confessions of Frannie Langton, The Gallows Pole, Ackley Bridge and Steph’s Packed Lunch and upcoming Netflix and Amazon series. Furthermore a number of graduates who went to work in local production companies like True North and Wise Owl Films have gained long-term employment and are our best ambassadors for the value of the programme in kickstarting screen careers in the North of England.”
Likewise, the experience is mutually rewarding for the CoSE:Y’s industry trainers, who get to watch newcomers take their first steps in the sector before going on to achieve their full potential. “We keep in touch and it’s really nice to see them thrive. We help graduates along the way by looking at their CVs and passing on entry-level job adverts, as well as providing opportunities for networking with peers and potential employers.” For Neumann, having the support of places like ScreenSkills and Screen Yorkshire is key in ensuring CoSE:Y maintains these high levels of success: “Skills shortages mean that productions are under huge financial pressures and as a result, the ability to train people quickly falls to the wayside. That’s why it’s so essential that there’s money to provide training. Funding pots like the BFI National Lottery funding, administered by ScreenSkills, are super important because they are a vital cog in the wheel that oils and future proofs the rapidly growing screen industries.”
As for the future, Neumann is hopeful that the word-of-mouth success generated by graduates of Centre of Screen Excellence: Yorkshire will encourage even more industry bodies and film and TV productions and employers such as broadcasters, streamers and studios to get involved and offer their support. “We’re doing lots of work to make our training as valuable, valid and useful as possible but we need more industry bodies buying in when it comes to work placements.” she reasons, commenting on the cost-of-living crisis and new entrants' inability to work for free. “To be fair, productions don’t want anyone to work for free so it’s all about finding ways to make it work for both sides.” Beatrice adds. “It’s a work in progress and we’re hoping that we can convince the industry our training is good enough and that it’s worth contributing paid placements.”