Trainee Finder, ScreenSkills’ highly-respected programme of paid placements for new entrants into film and children’s and high-end television, is now open with around 250 places available. The programme is open to candidates with less than a year’s paid experience in their chosen department or role with a range of jobs where there are shortages of skills. Applicants can apply for Film Trainee Finder or High-end TV Trainee Finder which includes the opportunity to work in children’s television.
The Trainee Finder teams and current trainees will take part in a webinar at 6pm today with the chance to ask questions. Book now for the webinar. It will also be available to watch online at a later date.
ScreenSkills will also be putting on a series of online Open Doors events, where you can hear from people already working in the industry. You can book a session nearest to you now: London and South East, North East and Yorkshire, Scotland, North West and Midlands, Northern Ireland, Wales and South West.
Additionally, ScreenSkills are hosting several online events focusing on different departments available for placements through Trainee Finder: accounts, art department, edit, sound, locations and script supervisor
The Trainee Finder programme is funded by contributions from productions to the ScreenSkills Skills Funds in high-end TV, children’s TV, and film. Productions that contribute to the funds are encouraged to offer training opportunities to the trainees and receive a subsidy to support their salary.
The programme has been running since 2013 in its current form but started earlier in film, and has had notable success in matching participants on productions including films such as; Fantastic Beasts, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and 1917. It has also placed participants on high-end TV shows including Sex Education, Shetland, Peaky Blinders, The Crown and All Creatures Great and Small and children’s TV including My Mum Tracy Beaker, Molly & Mack, and Andy and The Band.
You can read about the experiences of many former Trainee Finder trainees on the ScreenSkills website. They include:
- Rosie Bath, a costume trainee whose placements included No Time To Die
- Mellisa Harrison, art assistant who worked on Sex Education and Peaky Blinders
- Art department trainee Edwina Bowen who was placed with Hanna
- Sophia Mascarenhas on hair and make-up on 1917
- Annie Little, now an HETV Leader of Tomorrow in hair and make-up
- Costume trainee Aileen Kelly on her experience in children’s TV
- Ziggy Gray, a locations trainee who has since worked on Ammonite and Bridgerton
- Lauren Byrne on a career in camera with credits including Men in Black:International
- Amber Curtis on locations in children’s TV
- Former edit trainee Emma Marie Cramb, now an assistant editor on HETV Leaders of Tomorrow
- Jennifer Harris on switching careers with the help of Trainee Finder
- Anna Alcock on working in costume for Killing Eve
- Third assistant director Charanprite Dhami on switching career
Applications are particularly encouraged from those currently under-represented in the industry including disabled, Black, Asian and minority ethnic talent and those in the nations and regions, because ScreenSkills are committed to creating a more inclusive and diverse workforce.
For full details of criteria and to apply go to Film Trainee Finder or High-end TV Trainee Finder. Applications close on December 5th.