Create Central Skills Accelerator

6 July 2023

Create Central hosted an online briefing to provide information about our upcoming Skills Accelerator programme of activities.

The video above features an overview of why we were selected as one of six UK BFI Skills Clusters, and how this work combines with our wider activity most recently announced at the Create Central Shape the Future launch.

BFI Skills Clusters will enable lead organisations to work collaboratively with local industry, education and training providers, and support the shared ambitions of UK-wide organisations such as ScreenSkills, to develop clearer pathways to long-term employment in film and TV production.

Through the Skills Clusters, locally-based partners will identify skills shortages and gaps and coordinate skills and training opportunities for below-the-line production crew in their area.

Skills Clusters aim to build local skills bases by helping people across the UK, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, find viable routes into the screen industry and effective career development support.

Hear an overview of our plans around our Skills Accelerator training programmes, our commitment to engaging talent from underrepresented backgrounds and how we are building on industry partnerships.

Learn more about how these activities will connect local skills bases, support talent across the West Midlands, and create opportunities to engage with Create Central further.

Please note, this is an introductory briefing and gives an overview of the upcoming programme of activities.

There will be further detailed briefings shortly about how to tender to deliver any of the training programmes outlined.

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After the presentation the panel was open to Q&A, all the questions asked, and their answers, are published below.

If you have questions about the programmes or the tender process that are not answered here keep an eye out for our next online briefings which will go into more detail, or you can submit questions through the WMCA website.

Q&A

The questions have been grouped in four topic areas:

• ABOUT THE TENDER PROCESS

• ABOUT THE TRAINING

• ABOUT APPLICANTS

• WHAT THIS PROGRAMME DOES NOT COVER

ABOUT THE TENDER PROCESS

Q: What does DPS stand for?

A: It's a dynamic purchasing system – this is WMCA’s eTendering Portal – you must be registered on the portal to apply for tender opportunities.

Q: How do I register on the WMCA DPS or eTendering Portal?

A: You can register here: https://wmca.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.html

Q: Are there any specific conditions or restrictions on the types of provider who can tender for the upcoming programmes?

A: You must be registered on WMCA’s dynamic purchasing system (DPS) to be able to access the opportunity. Once registered and accepted, you will get notified when the opportunity goes live.

Q: If we’re already registered on the WMCA dynamic purchasing system (DPS) will we be notified when the tenders go live?

A: Yes, you will receive a notification.

Q: Is the only funding from the BFI the pot of £1million?

A: It's the BFI pot of £1 million, but also the West Midlands Combined Authority is match-funding to add additional skills funding.

Q: What budget levels are you expecting?

A: The budget levels will be detailed in our tender webinar briefings and as part of the specifications in the published tenders.

Q: Are you looking for collaborative bids or from individual organisations?

A: Collaborative bids are allowed. If you feel that you can offer more than one training intervention, you can bid for more than one.

Q: Would it be possible to use Department of Education Skills Bootcamps contracts to enhance the offer for the Skills Accelerator programmes and combine the two?

A: No, these programmes are intended to be run as bootcamps. From a funding rule perspective, a learner can only complete one bootcamp per financial year.

Q: What area of the West Midlands is covered? Will Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire be included?

A: Because the skills funding that the West Midlands Combined Authority currently has available is devolved to us we are restricted to seven local authority areas. It's a very prescribed postcode list that's dictated to us by central government.

Q: Do you have a deadline for applications following the August call out yet?

A: It's still to be confirmed, but it will be open for between four to six weeks, that's normally the tender timeframe once it goes live.

ABOUT THE TRAINING

Q: What are the three new training courses?

A: Rock up Ready: TV and film career launchpad. This will aim to bridge the current skills gap that industry has noted when very recent graduates enter the industry.

TV and Film Fusion: for scripted and unscripted TV and film careers. This is a fantastic new entrant opportunity for anyone, and no degree is needed. Anyone who wants to work in both scripted and unscripted.

Step up to HOD: empowering future department heads in the TV and film industry. This training programme will be supporting the future leaders and future business winners who want to take the next step in their careers.

Q: Will there be a requirement to deliver a qualification?

A: No, there is no requirement to deliver a qualification.

Q: How closely will you be working with universities regarding the graduate training?

A: Very closely, we expect it to be a great launchpad for Create Central, universities and industry to build much closer relationships in helping to materialise that training programme.

Q: Are there particular skills challenges you want to address locally?

A: 100%. That is the whole focus for being one of the BFI Skills Clusters and as Create Central, we are guided by industry. Our members, who are all leaders across the creative content sector, guide us with regards to what they want. So again, that's why we have training for new entrants, but we also have a programme for those more established in their career who are looking to become the leaders and future business winners for the West Midlands.

Q: What is the duration of the training programmes?

A: There will be more detailed information in the tender briefings. And we will discuss in detail with the chosen training providers. We will want to be mindful that each programme and its participants will have different needs. For example, Step up to HOD (head of dept), it's likely the participants on that training programme will be working. So, we would be looking maybe at an extended period of time to complete the course, a hybrid delivery form of in-person and online and potentially looking at evenings, weekends, etc to best ensure that it's as inclusive as possible.

Q: In terms of timescale, when will the programmes, especially the graduate focused programmes, be likely to launch, are they likely to come on stream by 2024?

A: We are aiming to come online at the end of this year. So, November/December 2023.

ABOUT APPLICANTS

Q: Will trainee eligibility be restricted to those already based in the West Midlands?

A: For West Midlands Combined Authority funding, yes. That funding is devolved to us by central government, and we are restricted to West Midlands postcode areas. The focus for the BFI is to localise targeting. So, the funding from the BFI is something that obviously we need to ensure is addressing the localised skills needs and shortages.

Q: Do graduates applying for Rock up Ready, need to have a firm base in the Midlands after graduation?

A: I think that's something that we can discuss in greater detail when we are looking at the tender process. For WMCA funding, the resident must have a home address in the West Midlands.

Q: How can I apply for the opportunities?

A: As an individual who wants to take part in some of the training, it will be promoted and made clear once applications are open. So, keep following us on social media. But for now, we are still at the process of putting out the tenders for training providers.

Q: Are these programmes open to everyone and how much has been ring-fenced for minorities and underrepresented?

A: Equity, diversity and inclusion runs through everything we do, and guidelines that we follow from the BFI and from the Combined Authority. We will be actively seeking applications from underrepresented individuals across all protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act, as well as socio-economic status. That will form part of the evaluation stage, and we will expect any training provider to be able to clearly articulate how they intend to engage with underrepresented groups, show prior engagements, ongoing engagements, etc. So that we've got the confidence that some of that infrastructure is already in place.

WHAT THIS PROGRAMME DOES NOT COVER

Q: Is there any funded focused on the games industry?

A: The spec as set out by the BFI was for film and TV with regards to their funding and the pot of money that they were giving out. We will be in discussion with the Combined Authority and also the games industry to look at bootcamps. But it won't be the BFI funded training. The West Midlands Combined Authority already funds training in the games sector, including bootcamps. This opportunity was advertised via an open round of procurement.

Q: Future media and games strands aren't covered in the next three call outs. Do you anticipate further tenders?

A: That is something that we're working on closely, we’re talking to the games industry and those working in the future media space, so yes, that will be coming. But the immediate offer is related to film and TV only. The WMCA, has procured industry specific bootcamps for the games sector and is committed to support the sector, as highlighted in the regions Plan for Growth.

Q: Does it cover animation and VFX?

A: We will be looking at including that into the BFI model. But there's also the separate bootcamp model, as well. So, it depends on what the industry tells us is best served.