BBC Wales is looking to find talented people with digital skills, like Cecile King. She joined BBC Wales this year and now creates social media images for Doctor Who
Today counts as a pretty significant day for the Welsh economy as we announce the creation of up to 200 BBC Make it Digital Trainees.
This scheme, the biggest of its kind in Wales, is a vital part of BBC Wales’ plans to help open up the creative and digital industries in Wales to a much broader range people from all backgrounds. It will also help address the growing need for digital skills across Welsh industry and business.
These valuable training opportunities, delivered with key partners in Welsh Government, Job Centre Plus and the digital sector, will help unemployed people boost their chances of getting a job and to develop vital digital skills.
So why now and why the BBC?
Well first of all, this is a core part of what the BBC is there for. Our remit is to inform, educate (my emphasis) and entertain. And enshrined in BBC’s Charter are our core responsibilities, our so-called public purposes. One of them is to bring the benefits of emerging technologies to our audiences.
The second reason is that 2015-16 is the year of the BBC’s Make it Digital initiative – a year of activity which aims to inspire a new generation to develop digital and coding skills.
The third reason is about jobs. Digital skills are in short supply. Just at the moment, in 2015, there are lots of opportunities for people across the UK to build their skills. But we need more people to take advantage of them. There are lots of estimates of the looming skills gap in the UK but one study puts us needing 1.4m digital professionals over the next 5 years.
So how does the scheme work?
The people who are offered places will be unemployed and receiving benefits. Their new skills learned during their Make it Digital opportunity will, crucially, help them get off benefits and in to the jobs market.
The BBC is rolling out the scheme across the UK this summer, creating trainee places for up to 5000 people.
The Make It Digital trainee scheme aims to grow basic level digital skills and prepare trainees for employment or progression into apprenticeships.
The programme will be delivered by high-quality external training providers. The content has been created by the BBC Academy, working with the Tech Partnership, drawing on existing BBC training and involving major brands to help inspire Trainees in an eight-week course. The final stage of the Trainee scheme is a structured work placement, with the focus on selecting companies who are likely to require basic-level digital skills.
Here in Wales, the scheme is aimed at people aged 18 and over who are unemployed and receiving benefits. The DWP’s nationwide Jobcentre Plus network will play a crucial role talent-spotting and identifying suitable candidates, who will be invited to take part by their Jobcentre Work Coaches. Training will be delivered in Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, Wrexham and Bangor.
The future
The Digital Trainees initiative that we’re announcing today doesn’t sit in isolation from a wider story of what our contribution should be to creating a smarter and wealthier digital country. So what else is needed?
First, there’s infrastructure and the BBC has a key role in its development.
We’re serious about improving what’s available in Wales and that’s why in 2018 we’ll be starting the move to a new Wales Broadcasting House in Central Square right by the main railway station in Cardiff. It’s a location as far removed from our ill-equipped current Llandaff site as possible.
We want our building in Central Square to be an open, shared public building – a development which kickstarts a new digital sector not just in Cardiff but in the wider region.
Second, there’s the question of measuring the BBC’s value and impact.
Very shortly, a big debate about the BBC’s future is about to start – it’s known as the Charter Review process.
It’s a debate which, rightly, should involve all.
And here in Wales, our public commitment is this: that the BBC will work ceaselessly to make a difference in the field of jobs and digital skills.
Although we already do a lot in this area with our existing trainees and apprentices our default position should be always to open, working alongside the digital sector – schools, colleges and industry.
In future, our contribution to the Welsh economy must also be a yardstick against which our success, or failure, is measured.
If we’re serious about digital in Wales and building a new future worthy of our forebears we must continue to change the way we do business.
So let us start today.
Let us start by making it digital.
