BMet students gain personalised insight into the media industry at ITV studios

BMet students gain personalised insight into the media industry at ITV studios

Media students at BMet’s James Watt College had the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge and skills from professionals at ITV Central News this week.

The “day in the life” gathering follows the successful launch of the college’s Studio44 media suite in February, that was officially opened by Sameena Ali-Khan.

The new college facility was specifically set up to reflect regional priorities as outlined by the West Midlands Combined Authority to grow skills, creativity and the screen industries – supporting the development of future talent in TV, film, digital and content creation.

Designed to provide industry-relevant experience, the studio is equipping learners with the technical, creative and production skills needed to progress into further study, apprenticeships and employment in the region’s creative sector.

Sameena was so impressed with the college facilities and the students’ abilities and enthusiasm, that she invited the aspiring broadcast professionals to ITV for an interactive “behind the scenes” session, held at Gas Street in central Birmingham.

The partnership enabled the college to formulate a “BMet Media Insight Day” for the students that ties into the college’s work experience objectives.

Violet Williams, Work Experience Manager at BMet said: “The newsroom experience was intense but gave the students a thorough overview of broadcast media and what takes place in a leading TV studio.

“From editing clips to understanding how stories come together, the students got a clearer picture of what it’s like to be in the industry.

“We are very thankful to Sameena and all the crew at ITV who created a fantastic experience for our students and we look forward to seeing how they use what they have learned in their future endeavours.”

The career-focused opportunity provided the learners with an action-packed and interesting schedule which included the students being able to have a tour of the studio, shadow the crew, join production meetings, get hands-on time working the camera operatives and learn about communicating weather forecasts coached by the well-known charismatic weatherman, Des Coleman.

Speaking of his experience, Jamie Milner who is studying T-Level Media and Broadcasting at James Watt College said: “My experience with ITV was astounding to say the least. I was originally expecting the studios of a massive news organisation to be chaotic, but I was wrong. The staff were organised and efficient, their processes were smooth and their schedules were followed by each member of staff brilliantly. Overall, my experience there was inspiring.

“Through watching their processes and regular workday, I learned the sheer essentialness of communicating with your peers. In their original meeting to discuss plans for future broadcasts, each of the members present offered ideas to each other, whether that’d be to add to an existing idea or to streamline them entirely. This taught me that in the workplace, communicating your ideas effectively is a much more effective way of overcoming your nerves of speaking aloud, as those around you are only there to offer support and ideas, not to criticize you.”

“I gained a lot of information on the different areas in media and what they do with more specificity than beforehand. I will use this experience to become as efficient as they are, while also adding my own ideas into the mix.”

To find out more about Studio44 at BMet College, please visit the BMet website. You can also discover how BMet connects with businesses and employers here.