A trainee placement scheme set up by Creative Skillset”s Craft and Technical Skills Academy is currently open for applications.

The scheme places trainees in paid work on UK productions to get hands on experience in areas such as production sound, editing, hair & make-up, camera and costume & wardrobe.

Launched nearly two years ago, the Film Trainee Placement Scheme has helped over 80 people from a diverse range of backgrounds land their first paid job on UK feature films, including Ginger & Rosa, Seven Psychopaths, Kick Ass 2, The Double, Les Miserables, Dom Hemingway, All You Need is Kill, Fast and Furious 6 and Quartet.

Past trainees tell of their success, such James Thomas, who always wanted to work in the camera department. He said: “Like many others, I struggled getting a foot in the industry due to too few people ever wanting to take the risk on someone new when they most likely knew of someone already for the job.” However, following his acceptance on the Trainee Placement Scheme, James became a camera trainee on Great Expectations and Ginger & Rosa. Through the contacts and skills he developed on these placements, his career has taken off and has included working on both 47 Ronin and All You Need is Kill.

Dan Simmons, Head of Film at Creative Skillset, said of the scheme: “We recognise that it is notoriously difficult to get your foot on the ladder in the UK film industry. This scheme not only gives the best talent a way in, it also helps productions recruit committed trainees whilst nurturing UK talent.”

The scheme is funded through the Skills Investment Fund (SIF), the voluntary levy on productions filmed in the UK, and is part of Creative Skillset”s film skills strategy ‘A Bigger Future 2”.

Applications are currently open and the deadline is 9 January 2013 at 5pm. Successful applicants will be invited to interview with a film industry panel at Pinewood Studios in early February 2013.

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Full information on the productions mentioned above can be found on Production Intelligence, the online database of advance productions from The Knowledge: