Cosgrove gives new talent a 'helpline hand'

A new careers helpline for the media industries in Scotland – 0808 100 8094 - has been launched by skillsformedia, the media specialist careers service, in partnership with Learndirect Scotland.
Industry heavyweight Stuart Cosgrove attended the launch and answered some of the first calls from people working in, or wanting to work in, TV, film, radio, and interactive media.
Stuart Cosgrove, Channel 4 Director of Nations and Regions, said at the launch: “The so-called 'creative industries' are a hugely popular career choice with many young people. But a lot don’t even know how the industry works. There is a thriving creative side but there's also the equally important engineering and technical side of the business. It’s a very complex industry with a huge variety of jobs and anyone wanting to get in needs to understand that. skillsformedia can help job seekers work out the best route in for them. I love people with passion, so talking to some of the callers today has been great but passion will only get you so far. Call the skillsformedia helpline to guide you the rest of the way.”
Callers to the helpline will gain access to the most up-to-date information on the industry, find out about the different jobs available and the skills and training that will help kick start careers. The helpline is also the main point of referrals for one-to-one skillsformedia sessions. These in-depth sessions are with experienced, working media freelancers who give honest, realistic advice tailored to an individuals’ skills, experience and ambitions.
The free phone helpline, open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, is staffed by professional careers advisors who have received specialist media industry training. skillsformedia is owned and managed by Skillset, the Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries, in partnership with BECTU, the industry trades union.
Learndirect Scotland executive director Donald Pow said: “The creative sector is very important to Scotland. However it is highly fragmented, with many small companies in film and TV production and in fast-growing areas like computer games. Although many people want to work in these industries, there is a definite skills gap, which has developed because until now accessing information on skills and training has been a very hit and miss affair. Skillsformedia changes all this, giving an central point of contact and an authoritative source of vital information. We at Learndirect Scotland, as specialists in lifelong skills training, are delighted to be a partner in this initiative.”
(GB)