Cyflwynwyd yr ymateb hwn i'r Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg ar Llwybrau at addysg a hyfforddiant ôl-16

This response was submitted to the Children, Young People and Education Committee on the Routes into post-16 education and training

RET 38
Ymateb gan: Into Film
Response from: Into Film

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Into Film

Overview

Into Film is the UK’s leading charity for film in education and the community. We provide screen industry careers information and advice, support young filmmakers, and bring the power of moving image storytelling into classroom teaching. We also run the annual Into Film Festival which enables more than 300,000 pupils to visit the cinema for free, and the Into Film Awards - the UK’s leading showcase for young filmmaking talent.  

The core Into Film programme is free for UK state schools, colleges and other youth settings, thanks to support from the BFI, awarding National Lottery good cause funding, and through other key funders including Cinema First and Northern Ireland Screen.

Our vision – Film enriches the life of every child and young person.

Our mission – To inspire and support young people to learn, and to realise their creative, cultural and career aspirations, through film and the moving image.

Into Film’s Careers & Progression Programme

Overview

Into Film offers comprehensive information, guidance and support on careers in the screen industries. This includes the Careers and Progression programme, supported by the BFI awarding National Lottery good cause funding, which provides teacher training, classroom resources and online content for School Careers Leads and young people, parents and carers. Our screen careers offer includes:

• An online careers hub (www.intofilm.org/careers) – a one-stop-shop for school Careers Leads and other teachers to inform and support young people interested in the screen industries

• Training for school Careers Leads and other teachers on screen industry job roles and opportunities for young people 

• Get Into Film (TikTok, Instagram and YouTube Shorts) – online information, advice and bespoke content for young people interested in the screen careers 

• Online content, hosted on the Into Film website, for children and young people looking for information, support and advice on screen industry careers

• Toolkits for screen industry companies to support them in recruiting young people, including those from areas of disadvantage 

• Annual roundtable event that brings together the screen industries and education to discuss career opportunities and support for young people

•  Work experience and mentoring opportunities currently delivered in Northern Ireland only - ScreenWorks, funded by the Department for Communities through Northern Ireland Screen, supports young people in Northern Ireland aged 14-19 to learn about screen industry careers through hands-on work experience opportunities.

● The extent to which employers are able to engage directly with learners in schools, for example at careers events.

● Into Film has secured the support of international, national and regional businesses and a wealth of freelancers to support its Careers & Progression programme of activities. Industry professionals have taken part in Q&A sessions, panel events and workshops at schools, cinemas and online. We work with sector partners to ensure opportunities are tailored and flexible to suit their availability, work capacity and priorities.

● Schools are open and keen to get involved in Careers & Progression activities; and weave such opportunities into their Curriculum for Wales objectives. Working closely with partners, such as Cardiff Council’s Curriculum Team, has enabled Into Film to extend its careers offer and reach more pupils at both primary and secondary schools.

● Into Film regularly receives invitations to attend Career Fairs – organised by individual schools across Wales and with support from Careers Wales. We are unable to support each request due to staff capacity and costs involved. We look to support regional events or events aimed at targeting underrepresented groups, such as the upcoming ALN Careers event in Carmarthen. From our own observations and experience, industry partners also find it difficult to support individual school Careers Fairs due to staff capacity, project deadlines and other factors. In addition to this, a high number of those working in TV and Film are freelancers and are self-employed so there is a further cost implication that have an impact on them taking time out to attend such events.

This was highlighted and recognised in the Screened Out Report - Tackling Class Inequality in the Screen Sector report:

“The majority of Screen businesses we spoke to through this research undertake outreach with schools and colleges. However, this was almost universally small scale, informal, local and led either by the school or college contacting the company or personal contacts. There was a feeling amongst consultees that interaction with schools was limited in terms of its impact and many suggested the need for a centralised organisation or strategy and coordinated approach to be successful.”

Into Film and Northern Ireland Screen’s ScreenWorks programme has tacked this programme effectively and efficiently for all stakeholders – young people, educators and sector professionals involved. (see below)

● Who else influences learners future career choices (e.g. parents, teachers, peers), and how well are those people supported to do this.

- Careers Leads / Educators : Into Film offers this stakeholder group a rich portfolio of resources to help them understand and expand their knowledge and understanding of the Screen Sector, but to also enhance and support them to provide the most up-to-date advice and guidance to their students.

Into Film identified the need to produce such resources (Step Into Screen Careers, Switched On : https://www.intofilm.org/theme/72/careers-resources) due to feedback from partners within both the screen and education sector – both calling for support to join the dots between school and sector.

Into Film runs online and face-to-face events and training linked to these resources – with Into Film educators and Careers Leads across Wales taking the opportunity to find out more.

However, an all-Wales approach (with funding) to enable Careers Leads to take time out of school to access a more diverse range of training opportunities is required. There is an opportunity for partners across regions or on a national level to come together to engage, inspire and educate Careers Leads so that they are more confident and better equipped to guide and direct young people in the future.

These events could see industry experts sharing information on routes into the industry, provide guidance on places to look for advice and guidance and share insights into working patterns and opportunities within the sector – including two areas that regularly get overlooked -  working as a freelancer and being self-employed.

- Patents/Guardians and Carers : This group of advisors, enablers and supporters play a key role in influencing and impacting a young person’s subject options and career aspirations.

Into Film will be looking to enhance its parental/guardian engagement activity through pilot social media and online content over the next 12 months, however, consideration should also be given to the potential of running and hosting face-to-face outreach events aimed at parents/carers– giving them the chance to learn more about the different routes and roles available, to meet people who are working within the sector and to learn more about the growth of the sector and its impact on the Welsh economy.

- Near-to-Peer  / Peer influence : peer-to-peer and near-to-pear influence can play a key role in developing interest, inspiring aspirations and building confidence. The success of our Get Into Film social channels prove that young people require and need access to digestible, authentic and engaging careers content. The Get Into Film social channels (TikTok, Instagram and YouTube) host a wide range of content that inspires, informs and supports young people who are interested in screen industry careers and filmmaking.

One area for potential development could see central funding being provided to support young content creators to create online content about TV, Film and Game content that is funded by Creative Wales or/and Ffilm Cymru Wales. Commissioning dynamic content by using local role models, stories and experiences via interviews, talking heads and behind the scenes footage could not only help showcase and celebrate the success of the Welsh creative sector, build appetite and desire to work within it but also drive new audiences to access more Welsh content.

● Whether work experience opportunities for learners of compulsory school are operational, effective and meaningful and any barriers in that regard.

The marked decline in work experience in recent years has decreased the opportunity for learners to gain knowledge and be inspired about careers in the screen industries.

There is a real opportunity to change the landscape – to provide a more holistic accessible and inclusive screen careers work experience programme across Wales aimed at young people from the age of 13. Delivering meaningful and impactful opportunities to develop skills, raise aspirations, instil confidence, and play a key role in social mobility within communities across Wales.

The screen industry is open, it wants to diversify and become more inclusive. These spaces can be complex environments to provide safe and meaningful experiences, because of restrictions around insurance, child protection & safeguarding, confidentiality agreements, staff working from home, staff capacity, health and safety, and location, thus making it incredibly difficult and challenging to offer meaningful work experience (2-3 days+) on site, on location or within offices.

ScreenWorks NI model – best practice

Through our ongoing project with the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland, a flagship work experience model, ScreenWorks NI has enabled Into Film to work with industry to offer high-quality work experience in the screen industries to young people from across Northern Ireland. Organised, coordinated and support by Into Film staff who manage the logistical and admin requirements of safeguarding, consent, location and access needs, the ScreenWorks model provides a holistic and coherent approach to work experience for all. It also covers the costs of those delivering the work experience- providing financial security to freelancers or the companies involved.

This successful model has opened-up new opportunities to thousands of young people and enhanced their careers aspirations and potential.

For example, in a post-delivery survey completed by 118 participants, we found that:

85% of participants stated that they had a good or great understanding of job roles in  the screen industries, an increase from 55% at the start of the programme, with 61%  of participants seeing their understanding improve; 

78% of participants stated that they had a good or great awareness of the creative  industries in Northern Ireland, an increase from 32% at the start of the programme, with 64% of participants seeing their awareness improve; 

81% of participants stated that they had a good or great understanding of working in the creative industries, an increase from 44% at the start of the programme, with 61%  of participants seeing their understanding improve; 

82% of participants stated that they had a good or great understanding of how to start  a career in the creative industries, an increase from 25% at the start of the programme, with 64% of participants seeing their understanding improve; and

84% of participants stated that they would definitely, or were very likely to pursue a career in the creative industries, with 19% of participants having seen their likelihood increase.

A recent case study of ScreenWorks NI was also published by Creative UK recently : IntoFilm - ScreenWorks

A regional pilot programme of ScreenWorks Cymru (Merthyr) was delivered in 2022. Funded through the UK Government’s Community Renewal Funds through Merthyr Well-Being Trust, over 70 young people will have participated in experiences in Prosthetics with Square Peg Studios, Art Department with Arwel Wyn Jones (including visit to Seren Studios), Editing with Gorilla TV, Production with Eryl Phillips and Filmmaking with Stephen Heinson. Feedback includes 92% of the young people who responded to the end of experiences surveys said the content of their experience was either ‘good’ or ‘excellent’, 92% also said they ‘enjoyed’ or ‘really enjoyed’ their experience and 92% also said they were now ‘quite likely or very likely’ look to pursue a career in the industry in the future.

There is a real opportunity for Wales, inline with its ambition for the screen sector, to boldly take on a new and innovative approach to work experience; thus removing the barriers identified and noted below:

Goal :A Coherent, Inclusive and Accessible National Approach : Moving Away from ‘Who you Know’ or a case of ‘Postcode lottery’:

There is no central organisation or programme that provides and supports young people (aged 13-18) with real access to a sector-led 2-3 days (or more) work experience programme. 

We would recommend that there should be a national drive to support a coherent work experience programme aligned with local economic growth and culture plans. There have been great steps forward in post-18 opportunities, but we call on national government teams to work with local leaders to meet local employment needs – working with a central national organisation to deliver high-quality work experience in the screen industries across Wales to young people from the age of 13.

Screen industries and socioeconomic diversity. Regrettably, the UK screen industries have become one of the most privileged areas of occupation in both the creative industries and the wider economy. Research from the University of Newcastle and the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) showed that ‘over half of people working in the UK’s Screen Industries are from privileged backgrounds (53%), compared to 38% of people working in any role. In contrast, people from working-class backgrounds are significantly under-represented in UK Screen, with only one in four of the screen workforce being from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Class imbalances are particularly pronounced in creative roles, including Writers, Producers, Arts Officers, and Directors. 61% of people in these roles come from privileged backgrounds.’ This assessment is further supported by recent research published by The Sutton Trust. This not only limits financial opportunities accessible to the less socioeconomic advantaged but also curtails the ability for their voices and stories to be heard.

As noted within the Screened Out - Tackling Class Inequality in the Screen Sector report.   “I think that behind the scenes we have by accident ended up editing people out. Because it's impossible for them to maintain a career in the creative sector, because what ends up happening, and you know this the more you've spoken to people, is that you end up relying on your parents. And if you can't rely on your parents, then you have no chance.” 

This was also highlighted in a Welsh Government (Mapping and review of enterprise and employer engagement activity across school report) – where it highlighted the growing gap between those with connections or from some schools to others… “On the matter of equity, the literature notes that learners with lower socio-economic status are less likely to have access to work experience in ‘high status’ workplaces, be less confident in their choice of work experience and more likely be given menial tasks”

A recent YouGov poll of 2098 young adults noted: 66% of young people can’t recall doing any work experience between the ages of 16-18, and privately educated students are twice as likely to do multiple placements as state school students. In addition to a recent Speakers for Schools report noted, “attending work experience is linked to lower odds of young people becoming NEET. The analysis shows that attending work experience reduces the probability of becoming NEET from 11% to 7%, having controlled for socio-economic status”.

We, and other relevant UK screen sector organisations, are ready to build the bridges between local schools and industry necessary to achieve this and we would welcome the opportunity to discuss this further with all relevant local and national government teams – looking to remove and tackle barriers around income, access to travel and accessibility support needs.

Educator Capacity to organise or coordinate for all:  The Welsh Government’s 2023 ‘Transitions to Employment report states;: “Schools that we spoke to were now far more reliant on informal parental networks for securing placement opportunities, and on teachers carrying out the relevant administrative work in addition to their classroom duties.

“Furthermore, Careers Wales were no longer able to carry out the necessary risk assessments and health and safety checks for learners ahead of their placements, leaving schools to take on responsibility for this”. 

We would therefore welcome an offer that elevates the pressure on teachers, takes away the administrative barriers and levels the playing field for all.