Published: September 30, 2024 — More than 30 trainees from across the UK have joined innovative Channel 4 training programmes which could set them on their way to careers within the TV, media and creative industries.

Thirty-one trainees have joined 4Skills’ Content Creatives programme and its Production Training Scheme which will help them learn new skills before they join companies and organisations where they will put those skills into practice.

The programmes target new and underrepresented talent and offer them the opportunity to discover more about the industry and hone their knowledge through workshops and placements. Many go on to secure new opportunities and employment off the back of the schemes.

Kevin Blacoe, Channel 4’s Head of Partnerships & Skills, Nations & Regions says: “At Channel 4, one of our main priorities is discovering and developing talent from all over the UK. We understand how tough it can be to break into the television industry and our Content Creatives and Production Training Schemes are designed to make that path easier.

“By collaborating with creative businesses, organisations and top production companies across the country, we’re able to equip trainees with valuable skills, experience, and insights which they can carry with them throughout their careers.”

Content Creatives 2024

4Skills welcomed 19 new trainees from across West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester into Channel 4’s Leeds office as part of this year’s Content Creatives 2024 launch.

The first eight weeks of the course sees the trainees take part in classroom learning led by training provider Sharp Futures. Sessions focus on a range of topics including digital storytelling, ideas generation, podcasting, and pitching.

After this, they will put their new skills to practise on their sixteen week-long creative work placements at Channel 4’s 4Studio or with one of the channel’s external partner organisations.

Partner companies in West Yorkshire include 4Studio, Social, Bradford 2024, Limehouse, FinnComms, NSMM, Brawl, Jaywing, Campus Industries and Royal Armouries – with Greater Manchester partners including One Day, Social, Red Bricks and Tangerine.

The Content Creatives scheme is open to anyone aged over the age of 18 currently living in West Yorkshire or Manchester or able to commute, with a particular focus on people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

Chloe Johnson, who is participating in this year’s scheme with a placement at Channel 4’s 4Studio, says: “Content Creatives seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to get my foot back in the door and learn the new skills I needed.

I was over-the-moon when I was accepted on to the course and even more delighted when I was told my placement would be at 4studio. I am absolutely loving the course so far and cannot wait to get to work at 4studio!”

Daniel Gbolagun has a placement secured with One Day agency. He comments: “The scheme is a great opportunity to get into the industry and be trained in various aspects of the creative industry, which will enable me to utilise the training during my work placement at One Day.

I am looking forward to being part of the team, contributing in creative ways with ideas that I may have, as well as learning from those around me.”

Ricardo Seixas, founder and CEO of One Day agency, added: “One Day’s success at its very core is built entirely by giving people open doors to professional growth through true, unrestricted, limitless, borderless collaboration and close support.

The Content Creatives is one of those doors we’ve opened among other initiatives, a partnership we’re extremely happy to be a part of.”

Production Training Scheme

Earlier this month, Channel 4 launched this year’s Production Training Scheme, which offers 12 fully paid placements with unscripted indies across the UK.

Channel 4 Production trainees will work in paid, full-time roles for independent production companies for 12 months alongside support and training delivered by the channel’s training partner thinkBIGGER!.

Candidates will learn from the very best the UK TV industry has to offer, all whilst earning a salary funded by 4Skills and the indie partner.

Locations facilitating either production coordinator or researcher roles include Belfast, Birmingham, Caernarfon, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester and Wrexham.

Nicole Kleeman, Managing Director at FirecrestFilms, says: “We are delighted to welcome our two new trainees. This opportunity is unique in the industry and it’s a privilege to be part of it again. Over seven years we’ve seen at firsthand how valuable this partnership can be in identifying new talent and providing them with the skills to flourish.”

The initiatives are part many projects being supported by 4Skills, which provided more than 57,000 learning, training or development opportunities in 2023.

About 4Skills

4Skills is Channel 4’s nationwide training and development strategy which aims to create thousands of opportunities nationwide with a particular focus on people from diverse and disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds who want a career in broadcasting.

In 2023 4Skills generated more than 57,000 training, development and learning opportunities for people across the UK, focusing on those from underrepresented groups. It offered full-time, fully-paid training to young people taking their first steps in our industry including 41 apprentices, 30 Content Creatives trainees and 16 disabled trainees recruited for the Paralympics Production Training Scheme.

4Skills invests £5m in training, development and learning opportunities annually and this will double to £10m by 2025.

For more information visit: https://careers.channel4.com/4skills

About Channel 4

Channel 4 exists to create change through entertainment. Publicly owned yet commercially funded, Channel 4 generates significant and sustainable cultural, economic and social impact across the UK – at no cost to the taxpayer.

The broadcaster’s distinctive remit is set by Parliament, and it has a role to represent unheard voices, challenge with purpose and reinvent entertainment. For more than 40 years, it has been a British success story, engaging generation after generation of young people.

With a unique publisher-broadcaster model, Channel 4 commissions its content from the UK independent production sector. Working with hundreds of creative companies every year, Channel 4 makes a major contribution to the local, regional and national economy, creating and supporting thousands of jobs and businesses across the country.

In 2024, Channel 4 launched its Fast Forward strategy to accelerate its transformation into an agile and genuinely digital-first public service streamer by 2030. It is designed to ensure Channel 4 embraces the generational shift in TV viewing, elevates its impact across the UK and stands out in a crowded market.

From its bases in London, Leeds, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow, Channel 4 is fully committed to harnessing the power of its regional structure to increase its impact across the UK. Through its training and development initiative 4Skills is opening up opportunities in broadcasting, with a particular focus on disadvantaged young people and addressing skills gaps across the Nations and Regions. 4Skills invests £5m in training, development and learning opportunities annually and this will double to £10m by 2025.

Channel 4 has the UK’s biggest free streaming service. Through Film4 Productions, Channel 4 also invests in British filmmakers to huge critical acclaim, producing 43 Oscar wins and 97 BAFTA wins in its history.