[New] Hollywood coming to Hertfordshire - students told to reach for the Sky

Hollywood is coming to Hertfordshire, and the opportunities are there for the grabbing. That was the inspirational message given to almost 200 students at Oaklands College at a talk and Q&A given by Sky Studios Elstree Talent Manager Lauren Christy.

The talk is part of the latest outreach from Sky Studios Elstree to Hertfordshire based students as they look to inspire local talent to pursue a career in film and TV. Oaklands College holds a range of practical and inspirational talks for their students and invited Sky along for the latest session.

Lauren Christy, Talent Manager, Sky Studios Elstree said “There are more job opportunities in the UK Film and TV industry than ever before and we’re excited about the placements, graduate programmes and job roles we can offer to local talent through Sky Studios Elstree.”

Elstree and Borehamwood already has an impressive history in film and TV production, but the new state-of-the-art, and highly sustainable, Sky Studios Elstree, will launch the county into Hollywood production territory, Lauren told the students at the college’s Welwyn Garden City campus. It has already been confirmed that the Universal Pictures’ film adaptation of Wicked, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Avrio, will be the first production to film on site.

The audience, many of them studying media, were given a masterclass in how the industry works, with Lauren explaining the range of roles, and skills, needed at a world class production studio, and, crucially, giving them a valuable insight into which are in greatest demand. As well as roles associated with filmmaking, such as assistant directors and production managers, there is also a need for production accountants, location managers, and a whole range of technical roles from grips to make-up artists.

The opportunities are endless, said Lauren, and students from Oaklands St Albans and across Hertfordshire, are perfectly placed to take advantage.

“We are introducing new opportunities for training at Sky Studios Elstree, as well as enhancing current training opportunities at our West London sites,” said Lauren. “We are even ring-fencing some opportunities in London for Hertfordshire students and college leavers, as well as offering fully paid placements for graduates and school leavers at the new Elstree site.”

Claire Dolan, Deputy Principal, said: “Oaklands is incredibly excited to work with key partners in the Film and TV industry and Lauren has been brilliantly engaged in supporting us to make sure our curriculum is exactly what the industry needs.

“Our CREATIVE Industry Group has been working hard to develop a soft skills matrix which would enable Oaklands students to be first in line for the emerging jobs in this exciting sector. We start building works on our brand-new ‘Creative Gateway’ building in April 2023 and the partnerships we are creating with industry are informing our building plans, ensuring that we replicate industry to ultimately give our students the very best opportunities to secure jobs in this sector.”

Lewis, one of the attendees at the talk, said: “It was so inspiring. And knowing that what I am currently studying is so relevant to some of Sky’s job opportunities, I feel even more excited about the future.”

Young people interested in the Sky Content Academy placements at Sky Studios Elstree are encouraged to apply through Sky Early Careers in spring for placements starting in October.

For more information: https://careers.sky.com/earlycareers/