Education and training School’s IN forever…
…for audio education with an ever-increasing variety of courses now available at every level. On the eve of several new training initiatives and a major resurgence of apprenticeships in the UK, David Davies spoke to educators and industry professionals about the development of a more comprehensive approach to audio training – and the gaps in the system that still need to be addressed
TOWARDS THE end of a far- reaching conversation about the current state of audio education, Tony Platt – leading producer of 40 years’ standing, and a driving force behind the JAMES (Joint Audio Media Education Support) training accreditation scheme – pauses to marvel at the progress made in recent years. “Am I more optimistic than
I was 5-10 years ago? Oh absolutely,” he confirms. “Every time I do an accreditation these days I come away with a really positive feeling about the way that courses are being designed and delivered. There are so many innovative, well-structured courses out there… It’s wonderful to see.” Platt’s sentiments are ably
reinforced by even the briefest assessment of courses now available at both Higher Education (HE) and Further Education (FE) levels. Swelling the not inconsiderable ranks of state-backed programmes are a growing number of courses being delivered through private companies; public/private sector co-operation is also common. Courses are diversifying, too; reflecting the decline in traditional studio-based careers, live sound and sound-for-picture
are featuring more prominently. As AES Education Committee chair John Krivit observes, “audio is a moving target, so the education that supports it needs to be equally agile…” With courses also needing to
prepare students for an industry that is shifting ever further into the realms of self-employment, debate around training issues has become increasingly lively – a point underlined by the AES’ decision to schedule its first-ever conference dedicated specifically to audio education, taking place in Tennessee from 25-27 July. Although the US and many European countries offer a
Tony Platt: “Am I more optimistic than I was 10 years ago? Absolutely”
cornucopia of courses, there is a general consensus that the UK remains something of a trailblazer in this department. So it makes sense for PSNLive to concentrate its investigations there – and to commence, in particular, with two new initiatives that promise to reinvigorate a variety of routes into audio-based careers.
REVIVING
APPRENTICESHIPS Since the mid-1980s, consecutive UK governments have emphasised the benefits of university-based learning for all manner of disciplines.
One consequence of this development – unintended or otherwise – has been a gradual eroding of the apprenticeship model. But the blunt realities of the last few years have prompted a rethink: as well as there being an awareness of a skills crisis in some trades traditionally best- served by the apprenticeship model, tuition fees and the rising cost of the overall ‘university experience’ are threatening to make academic pathways unviable for a growing proportion of young people. There is, then, much talk in
educational circles of an apprenticeship revival – and in this regard, the audio and music industries could not reasonably be accused of trailing behind. Indeed, as this article was being compiled, news emerged of two significant initiatives which aim to make training in these sectors considerably more accessible. The first of these projects is
The first intake of students on the newly created BRP Training course
22 l PSNLIVE 2013
the brainchild of JAMES (about whose HE accreditation scheme, see Box, page 23) and was formally launched with an event at Metropolis Studios on 17 July. Drawing on the involvement of the Music Producers Guild (MPG), Creative & Cultural Skills (the Government-licensed sector skills council for the creative and cultural industries) and City & Guilds (the vocational training organisation), the broadly-based initiative takes as its foundation, qualifications based on the recently developed National Occupational Standards (NOS) for work in sound engineering and music technology. As a result of these efforts, an apprenticeship framework has emerged for Levels 2 and 3, aimed at trainees aged 16-24. To be made available through City & Guilds from this October, the apprenticeships will give trainees the opportunity to pursue a number of careers – ranging from recording and mastering engineers, to creative writing producers and studio managers. Development of the scheme was led by Platt and Mark Rose,
a fellow producer, who says the primary aim of the apprenticeships is “to give young people new entry opportunities to the UK recording sector by providing them with the key skills that employers require. We also hope the scheme will encourage employers to take on individuals by offering a mix of employment and educational training via industry-approved centres.” The apprenticeships, believes
Ward, will be particularly appropriate to those “small and medium-sized studios and facilities (SMEs) who may need to train particular people if they want to expand a little – perhaps by just one or two staff members”. Almost simultaneously, commercial music industry umbrella organisation UK Music is preparing to launch the first industry-backed UK Music Skills Academy – also in partnership with Creative & Cultural Skills. Conventional apprenticeships as well as paid internships and work experience programmes all fall within the remit of the scheme which, like the JAMES initiative,
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Image: dBs Music
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