Sunset+Vine Commonwealth Games scheme creates 150+ jobs

Sunset+Vine has revealed its Commonwealth Games training scheme has created over 150 jobs for local residents. 

Launched as part of its Games legacy programme earlier this year, the production company partnered with Birmingham City University, Create Central, WMCA and Solihull College to deliver the Host Broadcast Training Initiative (HBTI), which offered 200 work experience placements on its outside broadcasts and studio productions.

Now having gone through that scheme, over 150 of the trainees have gone on to work at the Games, which began on 28 July and run until 8 August. 

Their roles include content creators, production co-ordinators, media managers, camera operators, edit assistants, loggers, live gallery PAs, assistant floor managers and technical roles. Sunset+Vine will continue to mentor the trainees post-Games, with the aim of helping them into the industry.

David Tippett, managing director of Sunset+Vine, said: “The HBTI is the jewel in Sunset+Vine’s Commonwealth Games legacy for the Midlands. We’re thrilled to have completed training and offered real-world industry experience to over 200 trainees, with 150 of them now set to join us for paid roles on the Games.

“The lack of diversity in sports broadcasting is an ongoing issue and this scheme is one way we are looking to play our part in addressing that - and we’re thrilled that over 60% of our trainees are from underrepresented groups within our industry.

“Now all that remains is for them to join us on one of the biggest sporting events to be held in the heart of Birmingham.”

One of those given this opportunity is 42-year-old married father of four Ahmed Al Bakri, pictured above. Al Bakri now lives in Newtown Aston, having been born in Cardiff before being brought up in Yemen and returning to the UK in 2008. He worked in the industry before, as a television presenter for two Arabic TV channels in London.

For the Games, he will work as a vision mixer at the NEC, helping to bring badminton, table tennis and netball onto viewers’ television screens. All the Sunset+Vine roles are paid and aim to help people across the region benefit from new skills in the broadcast industry. He has also picked up freelance jobs as a runner and camera operator.

Al Bakri said: “I was so pleased when I was offered the vision mixer role as it was one of the jobs I wanted to do.

“I’ll be based in the gallery, working with the director and the VT operators making sure that viewers see the right action at the right time. It’s a job that needs 100% attention because if you’re too late to get to a good bit of action, you’ve missed it entirely. It’ll keep me on my toes, but I’m really excited to be part of this massive sporting event.

“Having this opportunity and being able to put it on my CV is priceless and I hope it will help me to be offered a job in TV, whether with Sunset+Vine or with another broadcaster, but I’ve no doubt it’ll be an unforgettable experience.”