ITV Studios has announced a new Production Trainee scheme that will fast-track new and diverse talent into a variety of roles.
The scheme will offer 12-month contracts to successful candidates, with mentoring and training as part of ITV’s commitment to bring new voices into the industry. Placements are on offer at 10 of the labels and indies who are part of ITV Studios in both scripted and unscripted, in roles including trainee researchers, script editors and assistant script editors.
The scheme aims to attract candidates from backgrounds that are currently underrepresented in the industry, including those from lower-socio economic backgrounds, those from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and disabled people.
Training and support for the scheme is being provided by industry specialists thinkBIGGER! who currently manage several other new entrant programmes in the industry with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion. thinkBIGGER! will support ITV Studios throughout the year with a training programme, so that the cohort will have the best introduction to the industry possible.
Applications are now open and will close on the 19th February, with placements to begin in May.
Julian Bellamy, Managing Director, ITV Studios, said: “We are wholeheartedly committed to finding and developing new, creative and diverse voices. The Production Trainee scheme is one of a number of initiatives that we are launching this year across the Group to help drive change and we are delighted that thinkBIGGER! are on board with the scheme to help us provide the best possible support to those joining our teams.”
Among the ITV Studios labels and indies offering placements are Boom, ITV Studios Continuing Drama (roles in both Coronation Street and Emmerdale), ITV Studios Daytime, ITV Studios Entertainment, ITV Studios Drama, MultiStory Media, Potato, Mammoth Screen, Silverprint Pictures and World Productions.
ITV has worked with the Creative Diversity Network (CDN) over the past few years, which helped establish particular areas of focus for ITV’s diversity acceleration plan, announced last July. The plan, of which the Production Trainee scheme is part of, outlines how ITV will accelerate change in diversity and inclusion on screen and across ITV by creating more opportunities for those from Black, Asian, minority ethnic and other underrepresented groups.
ITV Studios is also supporting ITV’s ‘Step up 60’ initiative to improve diversity and career progression in tv production, which provides the chance for at least 60 people to step up and secure their first ITV senior editorial and production roles.
Jon Creamer
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