Will this lead to actual real jobs within MediaCity and other media production houses renting property from Peel Holdings at Salford Quays? What skills are relevant to CBBC that are developed over this signed agreement or by community reporting?
I’ve seen the MediaCityUK’s Media City promo DVD when I was at BBC Radio Lancashire. I was assured that the BBC would NOT be moving workers from London to Manchester and that job opportunities would be open to local people. Are Salford or Manchester University students, who are from London originally, classed now as local because they live temporary in Manchester & Salford?
Such a proposal looks exciting for us com reporters who have the heart and are not “university degree clones”. It does look like the BBC are looking for real local ordinary folk, who, with help and encouragement (esp. from the Job Centre + & Connextions), could contribute talent and creativity.
Yet, I find that Job Centre Plus (plus what?) is not interested in anyone being trained for 2011 - only that they get them off the dole. That’s the impression I get, anyways. How do people keep the Job Centre off their back while training, when the Government has took people’s freedom away and forces them to do 15 hours over 5 days, sat in a dingy rundown office sifting through papers, to be forced to do the worse lowest paid job ever or “..you’ll lose your benefits if you don’t apply for it”? That’s reality. Those 15 hours could be best spent learning, developing and engaging in new technology training to work across multi-media platforms. Why doesn’t the Government help those people to gain skills and really learn and develop those gifts, instead of being more interested in vote-grabbing unemployment figures and using the money for new fitted kitchens in their second homes?
What real skills are developed and what qualifications do people actually gain from this partnership?
The clock is ticking towards 2011 and I’m interested to see how MCIN & the BBC can help those, who are volunteering for free like me, get into media paid employment. Not just for MediaCity, but the rest of the media industry throughout the UK. It takes 1 year to study an undergraduate course in Journalism and 3 years after that for a degree. That takes us to 2012 by my watch. Still, handy for Newsround.. and how, exactly, does community reporting fit in with the rest of CBBC?
Then there’s WFA Media, plenty of skilled students come out of there. Adult Learning Centre, Manchester University, Man Met University, Salford University, MANCAT, Manchester College, North Trafford College, Loreto Sixth Form College and let’s not forget North West Vision & Media trainees as well - all skilled students, all wanting jobs at MediaCity. That’s not including Tameside, Oldham, Bolton and Stockport Colleges.
I don’t want to be still volunteering in 2012, still claiming benefits, while all the jobs at MediaCity are taken up by the above.
If the BBC have come up with a tangible viable practical way for those of us who are volunteering in the community media sector to break into the media industry, then I’m all for it. If its just an exercise in community relations, then what’s the point?
When the BBC informed me that they were committed to looking for local people with a heart for media production and “not university clones” I thought, ‘great - now show me!’
If its true, then it’s brilliant and that means they can have talented people, some who maybe dyslexic but creative.. those that are not able to gain a degree but can put sound & voice clips together with digital effect and make a great trailer or news report.. and those who might not have a GCSE but has a good personality that can “tell it as it is”.
If it’s just hot air, then we should get our license fee back for the next 10 years.
Henry Winkler, who played the Fonz in the US sit com “Happy Days”, has dylexia. He now writes children’s books and is the founder member of Children’s Action Network. So, this guy proves that given a chance you can make it.
BBC Local Radio & North West Tonight have staff already and paid placements are given to.. you guessed it.. university graduates - community reporters only get a tour.
I have a BA Hons degree in Contemporary Film and Video from Manchester Metropolitan University. While at university I did some work experience on Spooks. Since graduating I have built up my experience, working within the industry on various productions.
There were nearly 500 applications for 22 places across the North of England
My placement is split: 6 weeks on North West Tonight (regional news for the BBC) and 6 weeks on The Cup for Hartswood films; a comedy shot in an ob doc style, set in Bolton about the lives of the parents of an under 11’s football team.
http://www.northwestvisionandmedia.co.uk/page/amy-somers
The BBC say they are not looking for “university clones”, you don’t have to have a degree to work here. Mmm… maybe that memo hasn’t reached BBC Manchester yet!
Trust: Trust is the foundation of the BBC, we are independent, impartial and honest.
CBBC would probably want talented children, computer animators, runners and researchers. So this leaves BBC Formal Learning in which we would have a chance to gain any employment, in my opinion, in MediaCity. The production houses already have their staff. Cosgrove Hall (Danger Mouse) are moving from Charlton to Salford, perhaps even make a new animation series called “Salford and The Wheelie Bins” to celebrate the move.
Doing radio and community reporting has helped me to practice and develop skills. However, I found that this may not be enough. I still need to learn more to get into broadcasting.
Community reporting is only one of the multi-media platforms along with video camera work, video editing, taking audio from timelines, posting images and writing updates, sound editing, researching, producing trailers and ads - all within BBC guidelines and basic values.
After returning from BBC Radio Lancashire, I found that I needed to gain a qualification - even though I have the skills. Yes, I do need some more training to come up to BBC standards. Community reporting for MCIN was a step in the right direction as it shows that I am ready for the multi-media age. It does help you get to the next step and found it, in itself, is a good practice ground for honing your skills. A show case to prove I can do it. But, now I must move on and apply for a recognised qualification and learn.. in fact, you never stop learning in the industry.
What I am really saying is, I believe com reporters still need to further develop our skills through education and training or placement schemes. Com reporting is a good platform for seeing if you have a skill in web reporting and updating. The practice is good in developing, the more you do the more you flow. But, is it enough to get paid employment at the BBC in MediaCity in 2011?
Hands up if you know how to operate a Z1 camera? Me neither! Write a treatment? Extract audio from Avid?
It does look promising, Gary, developing “clear pathways into the BBC and the wider industry” and I’d like a closer look at this as 2011 approaches. It does look like a step in the right direction and is good for a starter. I would like to see these “pathways” to work work and see the BBC really helping us volunteers towards training and industry recognised qualifications or a paid full time career.
“This partnership has helped raise the aspirations of the local community reporters who feel that they have a real possibility of working at the BBC or in media.“
Gary Copitch, Director of MCIN
Local? To Salford or Manchester as well? Is BBC Manchester giving us local (Salford & Manchester) community volunteers placements, paid or unpaid? If the BBC are committed to taking on local talent, without university degrees or distinctions from acting schools, then how do we find the jobs they say they will give us?
Is there really a real possibility? Even though I’ve seen MediaCityUK’s promo DVD, I’m still not totally convinced - unless you’re a 14yr old.
This is an extract from an email from Sophia Rehman, Editorial Administrator, Talent & Diversity, Commissioning Management at Channel 4:
Diversity Production Training Scheme – TV and New Media
Opportunities nationwide
We’re on the lookout for new voices. Talented people who are keen to spend 12 months with either a TV or new media production company, building the skills they need to launch their careers. The important thing here is NEW voices. Which is why this programme has been created for those who think they might never be able to break into the industry. There could be a hundred reasons why: you may be disabled for example, or from an ethnic minority, or perhaps you’ve never seen the inside of a university. Maybe you believe that your age could cause those doors to slam in your face. Whatever. The important thing is that you can bring ideas, energy and real passion. In return, we’ll bring you every opportunity to shine.
What you get:
Training and experience. Lots of it. You could be developing story ideas for Skins, joking with Justin on the Friday Night Project or flirting with Gordon on the FWord. You could even be whipping up widgets for one of our websites. That’s the kind of thing you can look forward to during your year. Of course, there’ll be on-the-job learning when you’re with your assigned production company. But you’ll also get structured industry training sessions at Channel 4 and other top locations every month. Depending on the area you focus on, these might include working on location and in the studio, writing treatments, script reading, archive and copyright research, sketch writing, interviewing, camera techniques, games creation, working with actors and assessing contributors for television. On top of all that, there’s a generous training allowance of £17,000.
Then what?
Although we can’t promise you a job at the end of it, we can promise that you’ll have developed the skills, knowledge and network of key contacts you need to start building your career.
This sounds fantastic “on the job training” and, as you can see, Channel 4 is dedicated to this. Even though C4 is London based, there are production companies here in the North West and I would imagine that there would be localised placing. But, the biggest production company in Manchester is the BBC itself along with Carlton/Granada.
I’m not paid to do this, so I’m not ringing round and writing to all these people. But, it does look good for the future and one way to prove you really want to do it is to do it voluntary at first. With real help from the BBC in getting into the industry it could lead to a fulfilling exciting career and good pay.
Here is a recent BBC vacancy:
Broadcast Assistant- Radio Drama
Knowledge, Skills & Abiities
Postholders at all levels must have a minimum of the following:
- Broadly based general knowledge, with enthusiasm for and knowledge of broadcasting and the output of BBC Radio Drama.
- A knowledge of the drama community and an interest in working with writers, actors etc.
- Good knowledge of reference sources.
- Knowledge of radio production techniques and of operational and administrative systems.
- Familiarity with the technical equipment used in radio production and potential to undertake straightforward operation under transmission pressures.
- Good aural judgement together with a developed interest in sound.
- Good understanding of BBC Producer Guidelines.
- Knowledge and experience of using IT systems / keyboard skills.
- Knowledge of BBC accident, incident, broadcasting emergency and evacuation procedures.
- A creative and proactive approach and able to offer up ideas and suggestions for future Drama.
BBC.co.uk/jobs
How do you get to know 1 - 10 unless you’ve been inside the BBC and trained in this area?
I joined MCIN November of last year and over 9 months later, still no news of BBC training in Manchester.. tick.. tick.. tick..
If the BBC in Manchester are really committed to us, then it could be an exciting prospect and a great opportunity for all of us who are working voluntary, for no pay, because we want to do it. Hopefully, it will lead to payed full time employment in the media industry.
