New School Year, New Career?

Today sees the start of SSVC’s long-awaited “Forces Media Academy” - a one-year course which will educate 15 service leavers and veterans in Media Production.

Those who have served in the armed forces are highly renowned for their strong ability to communicate - but despite this, only 1% of forces leavers have begun media careers over the last two years.

The aim of the Forces Media Academy is to provide its 15 pupils with the training and qualifications they need to forge successful careers in the media industry.

The Academy is supported by its principle charity partner, The Royal British Legion, providing each student with an £18,000 bursary to help with living costs.

The charity has given £800,000 in total to help fund the project.

The course is to be held at SSVC’s Buckinghamshire headquarters. SSVC is the parent company of the British Forces Broadcasting Service, as well as Forces TV.

This means that students will be given the invaluable opportunity to work in a live media environment alongside their lectures.

The course is designed to be highly practical, with modules such as Camera and Lighting Skills, Film and Video Editing, Promo Video Production, Contextual Studies, Research Techniques, and Moving Image Production.

One of the course’s pupils, Freddie Wright-Jones from Aldershot, joined the Royal Navy in 2008 as a medic and served on the front line in Afghanistan after spending a short period working with the Royal Marines.

In many ways, the Forces Media Academy has given Freddie a second chance after leaving the services. He said:

“Being accepted into the Forces Media Academy means the world to me. It means that I will be able to express my creativity.”

Whilst Forces Media Academy Director, Alistair Halliday, said:

“This course is a perfect fit for service leavers and veterans with an interest in, and aptitude for, the media.

"It will equip them with skills for a range of roles such as a producer, multimedia journalist, and content creator.”

“The Forces Media Academy is part of SSVC, which has a proven history of media production with long-established and close links with the media, digital, and broadcast industries.

"We’ll harness these to set up high-quality work experience which will enhance the ability of the students to get a good job afterwards.”

He added:  

“We are most grateful for the support of charities and companies, in particular The Royal British Legion, which has most generously provided the bursary.”

 The Royal British Legion's Head of Grants and Social Policy, Steven Baynes, said:

 "The Academy’s work is innovative and practical, building on the existing and highly transferable skills of those who serve in HM Armed Forces.

We’re eager to follow the first cohort’s progress, and proud to provide bursary funding to make the course accessible to as many future media professionals as possible."

Applications for next years intake opens today. So to apply to be part of the class of 2018, go online to www.forcesacademy.com.