Sky Studios Elstree launches youth training programme
January 6, 2023
Young people from across Hertsmere and the UK are set to work on high-end TV and blockbuster film productions as part of a new training programme launched by Sky Studios Elstree.
Named the Sky Content Academy, part of Sky’s broader work to support new talent, local students and graduates have been selected for these year-long paid roles and have already started supporting the highly anticipated film adaptation of Wicked, staring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. Universal Production Services, a sister company for Sky based in Elstree, have also welcomed new members to their team as they get hands on experience in lighting, rigging and more. Members of the Sky Content Academy team will receive specialist training and mentoring from world class film makers as they rotate across a range of roles over the course of a year giving them experience of working on productions as well as managing a busy studio facility.
Whilst this is the first intake of placements at Elstree, the Sky Content Academy has already welcomed 48 school or college leavers and recent graduates to join teams in Osterley, working in Sky Sports, Sky News and some of Sky’s best content. This new offering at Elstree has a focus on hiring locally and 75 per cent of the team recruited have come from the surrounding areas.
Tori Brittain, Sky Content Academy Graduate, added: “I never imagined I would be working with top film making talent and A-list celebrities at a studio just down the road from where I live. I’ve already had amazing experiences and I can’t wait to see what’s next.”
These hires follow on from research conducted by PwC which finds that the film and TV industry is set to boom in the UK, with investment in production forecast to grow by 5 per cent a year for the next five years.
Noel Tovey, MD of Sky Studios Elstree, said: “We are seeing huge global demand for studio space, and with that there is a vital need for talent to fill the ever-growing job market. We couldn’t be more excited to have our first Content Academy team in place, but this is just the start for us as we look towards becoming a training ground for young, local people.”