Victorian Government invests in training to fast track new screen Industry opportunities

The Victorian Government has unveiled a $5.4 million skills and training package to support Victorian digital games, TV and film professionals to progress their screen careers.

The announcement was made at Docklands Studios Melbourne which houses Victoria’s latest screen technology development, NantStudios’ world-leading virtual production facility.

Victorian Minister for Creative Industries Steve Dimopoulous noted “this is about Victorian skills for the future and jobs right now. There is more work than ever in our screen industry and the demand for highly skilled creatives, crews and technical specialists continues to grow.

“Whether you are starting out or exploring a career change, this is a chance to call `action’ on a new screen career.”

Two LED volume screens at the facility include one that at 12metre x 88metre will be the biggest in world when complete – the State Government contributed $12.5 million to bring the technology to Victoria. Replacing old “green screens”, the LED screens mean the next generation of blockbusters can be filmed here.

The Victorian Government will provide $3.6 million to establish a specialist digital games and VFX school to ensure Victoria remains at the forefront of screen education as digital games emerge as one of the world’s fastest growing entertainment sectors and film and TV productions use more visual effects and animation.

Expressions of interest are now open for TAFEs and other education providers to develop and deliver this training.

The package also includes paid training on the set of Neighbours and workshops to help hundreds of workers outside the sector transfer into the industry, which has grown by more than 3,000 full-time equivalent jobs as a direct result of VicScreen investment in the past two years.

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show there are more than 16,000 workers in the Victorian screen industry.

VicScreen Chief Executive Caroline Pitcher adds “we know that growing Victoria’s pool of talent is key to the continued success of our local screen industry. These programs will build our skilled workforce across all fields – from technical to creative, crew to corporate.”

With iconic TV series Neighbours returning to production, the Neighbours Training Program will provide paid on-the-ground training for emerging Victorian writers, directors and crew members in roles such as post-production, camera, lighting and sound. Applications are open for the scheme.

From May, the Set Educated program will help up to 400 aspiring screen workers break into the industry, while also showing workers such as accountants, electricians and designers how they can transfer their skills to the booming screen sector. Sessions will be held in Geelong and Melbourne.

Growing Victoria’s screen industry and supporting jobs and career pathways is part of the Government’s $191.5 million VicScreen strategy. To find out more about the latest screen training initiatives, visit creative.vic.gov.au/

Image. Credit: NantStudios Docklands