Y&H Case Study: Company
Positive Action, not just talk!
The media industry as a whole is renowned for not representing the national or regional make up of society in terms of ethnicity and although attempts have been made within the industry to redress this imbalance there is still a long way to go.
This was highlighted through a 3-month research study commissioned in March 2003 by Screen Yorkshire and The Fair Play Partnership. Part of the research involved engaging with community groups and Minority Ethnic organisations, and the findings confirmed that despite the presence of talent in the region, many individuals did not consider approaching major broadcasters for work or experience as they did not feel they would be welcomed.
Decisive action needed to be taken and the Foundation Placement Scheme was developed. The scheme was first piloted at ITV Yorkshire in June 2003, made possible through partnering with organisations for support, advice and funding. Initial scheme partners were Screen Yorkshire, PATH (Yorkshire) Limited - who are a positive action training organisation, The Fair Play Partnership and Yorkshire Forward. Trainees were recruited from 225 applications for 20 vocational, year-long, pre-entry level placements at ITV Yorkshire, based in a cross-section of departments from cameras and editing to sales and broadcast.
With 75% of the previously unemployed trainees securing jobs by the end of the traineeship, the outcomes surpassed initial expectations, not just relating to the individual trainees but the knock on effect the scheme has had within ITV Yorkshire and the Yorkshire region. The initiative received recognition for its contribution through the 'HSBC Big Tick Award for Diversity' from Business in the Community in September 2004.
The Foundation Placement Scheme, has since grown from strength to strength by recruiting a further 16 trainees at ITV Yorkshire in November 2004 and 20 in 2005, with additional partner West Yorkshire Employer Coalition. The initiative has also evolved across to the North West region where ITV Granada, in partnership with Media Training North West and the North West Development Agency, recently recruited 17 trainees in a variety of television production and support roles.
The aim is to equip trainees with the skills, knowledge and experience to be in a position to compete fairly for job opportunities within the industry a year down the line. Another desired effect is to begin to address the under-representation of individuals from ethnic minority groups within the workforce, and consequently, have a direct impact on the diversity of on-screen content, in order to represent the cultural diversity of the region.
As well as on-the-job experience, the trainees are involved in career development sessions and industry training with the opportunity to make their own short feature piece. They also have support from internal buddies, external mentors, and additional support from partner organisations.
Skillset is currently working with ITV Yorkshire to try and expand the programme to include other broadcasters and independent production within the region and to widen the reach out to BME communities across the whole of the YH region.
For more information about the scheme please contact Marsha Witter on 0113 222 7068 or marsha.witter@itv.com
The media industry as a whole is renowned for not representing the national or regional make up of society in terms of ethnicity and although attempts have been made within the industry to redress this imbalance there is still a long way to go.
This was highlighted through a 3-month research study commissioned in March 2003 by Screen Yorkshire and The Fair Play Partnership. Part of the research involved engaging with community groups and Minority Ethnic organisations, and the findings confirmed that despite the presence of talent in the region, many individuals did not consider approaching major broadcasters for work or experience as they did not feel they would be welcomed.
Decisive action needed to be taken and the Foundation Placement Scheme was developed. The scheme was first piloted at ITV Yorkshire in June 2003, made possible through partnering with organisations for support, advice and funding. Initial scheme partners were Screen Yorkshire, PATH (Yorkshire) Limited - who are a positive action training organisation, The Fair Play Partnership and Yorkshire Forward. Trainees were recruited from 225 applications for 20 vocational, year-long, pre-entry level placements at ITV Yorkshire, based in a cross-section of departments from cameras and editing to sales and broadcast.
With 75% of the previously unemployed trainees securing jobs by the end of the traineeship, the outcomes surpassed initial expectations, not just relating to the individual trainees but the knock on effect the scheme has had within ITV Yorkshire and the Yorkshire region. The initiative received recognition for its contribution through the 'HSBC Big Tick Award for Diversity' from Business in the Community in September 2004.
The Foundation Placement Scheme, has since grown from strength to strength by recruiting a further 16 trainees at ITV Yorkshire in November 2004 and 20 in 2005, with additional partner West Yorkshire Employer Coalition. The initiative has also evolved across to the North West region where ITV Granada, in partnership with Media Training North West and the North West Development Agency, recently recruited 17 trainees in a variety of television production and support roles.
The aim is to equip trainees with the skills, knowledge and experience to be in a position to compete fairly for job opportunities within the industry a year down the line. Another desired effect is to begin to address the under-representation of individuals from ethnic minority groups within the workforce, and consequently, have a direct impact on the diversity of on-screen content, in order to represent the cultural diversity of the region.
As well as on-the-job experience, the trainees are involved in career development sessions and industry training with the opportunity to make their own short feature piece. They also have support from internal buddies, external mentors, and additional support from partner organisations.
Skillset is currently working with ITV Yorkshire to try and expand the programme to include other broadcasters and independent production within the region and to widen the reach out to BME communities across the whole of the YH region.
For more information about the scheme please contact Marsha Witter on 0113 222 7068 or marsha.witter@itv.com