Registration open for UK's first apprenticeship scheme for camera technicians

Jack Cherrington, who started with VMI as an intern, 2015, was promoted to Senior Technician in 2018

Back in 2019, VMI Managing Director, Barry Bassett, first contacted the TV industry body ScreenSkills to investigate whether it might be possible to set up a formal apprenticeship standard for UK camera rental companies – and after 18 months of work and planning, as well as setbacks due to COVID, the new 'Camera Prep Technician' Apprenticeship Standard is now formally recruiting for its first cohort of apprentices, which will start in mid August 2021.

The idea was that this programme would include a high level of training in order to enable school-leavers to enter our industry and at the end of the programme become fully trained camera technicians with a full-time job; now this new route into the TV industry is finally going to become a reality.

The first intake

Industry support for the scheme

Many organisations have expressed support for this new venture including ASPEC (Studio & Production Equipment Companies), which represents a number of UK rental companies, GTC (Guild of TV Camera Professionals), GBCT  (Guild of British Camera Technicians), Park Royal Business Group (PRBG) and a large number of camera rental companies.

Barry Bassett, Managing Director of VMI, dreamt up the project after he discovered that both VMI and many other camera rental companies were finding it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain camera technicians, so the idea was hatched to offer an alternative entry into the TV industry instead of attending university. His idea was that formal vocational training could result in a recognised qualification and a full-time job that would suit local adults.

Barry persuaded the Institute for Apprenticeships (IoC) that there was an industry skills shortage, after which they agreed to work with him to design a new standard. By working with SkillSkills, a group of rental companies creatively known as the Trailblazer Group was set up to design the full standard. This group initially included VMI, S+O Media, Panavision, Movietech, ARRI Rental, Shoot Blue, CVP, Focus 24, Shift-4, Brownian Motion, Take-2 and also CVP and later interest was expressed from Pro Motion, Aimimage, Luna Remote Systems, Visual Impact 24-7 & Pixi Pixel and also No Drama and Provision from Manchester and Progressive Media in Scotland. Word continues to spread and several companies not originally involved are now keen to be involved but will only commit once they are confident that business will return to acceptable levels, hence the reason for the continued delay.

The apprenticeship has been launched on the Government IoC website.

After several false starts, the Apprenticeship Standard Application Process is now formally open for applications and will close sometime in May 2021. Any companies wishing to signify their interest in taking on 'Camera Tech' apprentices in August, or any individuals wishing to be considered as a potential apprenticeship candidate, should register their interest with the Next Gen Skills Academy by clicking on this link.