Channel 4’s Paralympic Production Training Scheme offers 19 disabled people the chance to launch careers in TV production

2 May 2023

Channel 4’s Paralympic Production Training Scheme will give 19 disabled people the chance to launch their broadcast careers with 12-month placements at independent production companies across the UK – and some will go on to work on the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.

Successful applicants will spend a year working as trainee production co-ordinators or as researchers working on sport, entertainment, factual entertainment and factual productions at indies based throughout the UK - Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Chepstow, Glasgow, Leeds, London and Manchester.

Disabled people interested in a career in broadcasting can apply at the Channel 4 website to take part in the Paralympic Production Training Scheme which is funded and led by 4Skills (see below for more details), with training and support provided by thinkBIGGER!

Sinead Rocks, Channel 4’s MD, Nations and Regions, said: “This is a wonderful opportunity

to work at the heart of some amazing indies, gain a wealth of experience and learn new skills which could potentially take the trainees into a career they had never envisaged.

“Identifying and nurturing new talent is one of the most important roles of 4Skills and I’m thrilled so many indies across the UK have teamed up with us to offer these year-long opportunities.”

Channel 4’s Head of Sport Pete Andrews said: “Sports production is one area where we really need to increase the numbers of disabled people playing key roles behind the camera. This scheme will help to give a much-needed career boost to talented people from all over the UK.”

The five indies which specialise in sport offering posts for trainees are: Buzz 16, Gravity, IMG, Sunset & Vine and Whisper.

Other companies offering 12-month long roles for trainees are: Brown Bob Productions, Firecrest Films, Mighty Productions, North One, Open Mike, Outline, Raise the Roof Productions, Red Sauce, True North, Waddell Media, Warner Bros., Worker Bee and 4Creative.

These indies have produced a range of fantastic content including The Last Leg; Love It or List It; Alan Carr’s Chatty Man and coverage of Formula 1, UEFA Women’s Euros 2022 and Wimbledon.

Sunil Patel, Whisper CEO: "We passionately believe at Whisper that the team in our office should reflect the world we live in. We aim to 'impact positive change', which goes well beyond the programmes we deliver.

“The Paralympic Production Training Scheme provides fantastic, targeted opportunities for disabled talent to enter the industry, which is vitally important as we continue to help sports production to become as inclusive and diverse as possible. Our hope is that the production training scheme helps us welcome more disabled talent into Whisper, Channel 4 and the industry, where they can work for many years to come."

Successful applicants will attend a week-long TV Boot Camp where they will hear from graduates of previous schemes as well as Commissioning Editors who will give the lowdown on what it takes to succeed. Then their TV careers start for real as they get to work with their production company.

Applications can be made here and the closing date of 28th May. The trainees are due to start on 18th September.

 

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Notes to editors:

About 4Skills

Based in Channel 4’s national HQ in Leeds, 4Skills aims to introduce the media industry to thousands of people in the UK as well as help develop the careers of those already working in broadcasting and production. Last year 4Skills reached more than 23,000 people by investing £5 million in training, development and learning opportunities across the UK.

This included: 4Schools, a major project to engage 11-14-year-olds with the television and creative industries, reaching 19,000 pupils in West Yorkshire, the North-East, the North-West, the West and the West Midlands; 40 apprenticeship placements in Channel 4’s offices in Leeds, London, Manchester and Glasgow; 51 Production Trainees, 75% of which were based in the Nations and Regions and 47 Content Creative placements as part of a 14-week programme in Leeds and Manchester.

4Skills also helped develop the careers of those already in the creative industries through the Momentum Project with We Are Parable for 60 black filmmakers, and content creators in Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow and London; the Factual Fast Track Scheme that helps ambitious Producers and Series Producers work on larger scale productions in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the West; the Nations and Regions based SuperSizer development programme, supporting the growth of Development Executives to win high value commissions, the TV Drama New Writers Scheme based in the West and South-West, NFTS free online training sessions and masterclasses, and The Talent Development Partnership with New Writing North supporting new television writers in the North of England.

In January 2023, it was announced that Channel 4 would double its annual £5m investment in training and development budget from 2025.

About Channel 4

Channel 4 exists to create change through entertainment. Publicly owned yet commercially funded, Channel 4 generates significant and sustainable cultural, economic and social impact across the UK – at no cost to the taxpayer.

The broadcaster’s distinctive remit is set by Parliament, and it has a role to represent unheard voices, challenge with purpose and reinvent entertainment. For 40 years, it has been a British success story, engaging generation after generation of young people.

Through a unique publisher-broadcaster model, Channel 4 commissions its content from the UK independent production sector. Working with around 300 creative companies every year, Channel 4 makes a major contribution to the local, regional and national economy, creating and supporting thousands of jobs and businesses across the country.

In 2020, Channel 4 launched its Future4 strategy to become a digital-first public service media company and to continue to deliver significant impact for UK audiences and investment into the UK creative economy.

Across its bases in London, Leeds, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow, Channel 4 is turbocharging its efforts to find, nurture and develop talent across the UK. Through its training and development initiative 4Skills, Channel 4 is opening up opportunities in broadcasting, with a particular focus on disadvantaged young people, and addressing skills gaps across the Nations and Regions.

Channel 4 is the UK’s biggest free streaming service and includes 11 television channels including: Channel 4, E4, E4 Extra, More4, Film4, 4Seven and The Box Plus Network. Through Film4 Productions, Channel 4 also invests in British filmmakers to huge critical acclaim, producing 37 Oscar wins and 84 BAFTA wins in its history.

https://www.channel4.com/