Amazon Prime Video backs UK Screen apprenticeships

UK Screen Alliance has announced that six of the 13 new apprentices currently training as post-production technical operators as part of the organisation’s apprentices programme are being financed by Amazon Prime Video.

The programme will see the apprentices receive nine weeks of off-the-job training at London South Bank University (LSBU), as well as on-the-job experience with post-production employers over the next 12 months.

Six of the apprentices are being financed by Amazon Prime Video, who is donating over £50,000 of their own UK apprenticeship levy to cover the training and assessment costs.

The Post Production Technical Operator apprenticeship was created by a group of post-production employers, led by Rowan Bray, managing director of Clear Cut and Neil Hatton, CEO of UK Screen Alliance. It is fully accredited by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education and leads to a level 4 qualification, equivalent to an HNC.

The post houses taking part in the scheme include Company 3, Directors Cut Films, Dock10, Timeline Television, Splice Post, Clear Cut Pictures, Molinare, Roundtable Post, The Look, and Wild Brain.

The companies hosting the apprentices are doing so through a combination of 100% funding and apprenticeship levy transfer.

Georgia Brown, head of European Originals, Amazon Studios said: “We’re delighted to be supporting this apprenticeships scheme. It’s essential that we all protect and preserve the pipeline of talent within our industry to ensure we continue to make best-in-class television in the UK.

“We’re excited to work with the UK Screen Alliance and others to fund more apprenticeship opportunities across the screen sector in the coming months. We wish all apprentices the best of luck for their training and hope to see them working on an Amazon Original Series in the not-too-distant future.”

Clear Cut’s Rowan Bray added: “The Apprenticeship delivers much-needed technical training tailored to the post-production community. Employers are driving this scheme, to meet a known skills shortage, with tangible benefits for the whole sector. Amazon’s farsighted investment in developing these skills will benefit the wider production community.”

Thomas Urbye, managing director of The Look said: “We were delighted to hear about and support this specialised apprenticeship course, which allowed us to fast-track a new employee to join our technical team. The combination of on-the-job training and coursework with LSBU is mutually beneficial to the company and the apprentice.”

Brian Hardman, head of post production operations at Dock 10 said: “We are delighted that our team can benefit from participating in this valuable training opportunity. As a regional facility, we especially appreciate the efforts of LSBU to tailor the delivery to be more remote based – and as such make it much more accessible and practicable. We look forward to repeating this participation in future cohorts.”

Neil Hatton, UK Screen Alliance CEO, said: “Two years ago there were only two specialist apprenticeship standards in our sector, but now we have created 10 covering a wide range of occupations, with more to come. It’s great that Amazon are investing in the skills base of their supply chain businesses and we look forward to working with them again to fund more high-quality apprenticeships.”