First hire for new UK ticketing apprenticeship
NEC Group’s the Ticket Factory (TTF) has become the first employer to participate in an industry first ticketing apprenticeship, jointly developed by the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR) and National College Creative Industries.
The one- or two-year course – first mooted in July 2016 – teaches apprentices to “provide a high-quality service to customers within the ticketing industry”, including skills relating to customer service and working to industry regulations.
TTF’s first hire under the scheme is 21-year-old Melissa Halling, who upon completing a one-year apprenticeship will be the first-ever recipient of the snappily named ‘apprenticeship standard in customer service practitioner – ticketing’.
Richard Howle, director of ticketing for the Ticket Factory, comments: “We are proud to support STAR and the National College Creative Industries with this initiative in welcoming the UK’s first ticketing apprentice to the team.
“We hope that this apprenticeship will open doors for many young, talented individuals”
“We operate in a rapidly changing world, where customers demand the best, and our team is passionate about driving new ideas and being at the cutting edge of innovation. Ticketing is a brilliant industry which requires a broad range of skills and expertise and is full of opportunities.
“We are delighted to welcome Melissa, whose enthusiasm and desire to learn is infectious, and we hope that this will be the start of a long and successful career in ticketing.”
“Our focus was to create a new apprenticeship that would lead to a valuable industry qualification, plus one that would add real value to the employer,” adds STAR chief exec Jonathan Brown. “Centred on real work competencies demonstrated in a real work environment, the aim is to drive quality and consistency through both on-the-job and off-the-job training.
“We hope that this apprenticeship will open doors for many young, talented individuals and support them in forging an exciting career in this fast-paced and creative industry.”
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Trailblazer scheme bears fruit in Blackout hires
Blackout has appointed the industry’s first Trailblazer rigging apprentices in a double hire.
The rigging/drapes supplier was one five companies to take part in a trial day for the Trailblazer scheme – a British government-backed initiative to create three million new apprentices by 2020 – at Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham last June.
Roisin McClearn and Bridie Lane, selected from more than 70 applicants, joined Blackout’s London office earlier in November and have since “been involved in every aspect of day-to-day life in the warehouse, working with drapes, seams, rigging, truck loading and unloading, stock taking, prepping for jobs and ongoing equipment maintenance”, says the company, which also has an office in Paris.
“It has been a pleasure to welcome Rosin and Bridie to the team and I look forward to see them develop skills and industry knowledge with us over the next three years”
Blackout project manager Alex Duke comments: “Now three months into the new industry training scheme, both of our new apprentices have very quickly rolled up their sleeves and displayed an eagerness to immerse themselves into all elements of the business and the experiences the events industry offers.
“They have quickly picked up navigating around our extensive warehouse, picking jobs, learning the processes of simple truss installations and hanging of drapes. It has been a pleasure to welcome Rosin and Bridie to the team and I look forward to see them develop skills and industry knowledge with us over the next three years.”
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New rigging apprenticeship trialled in UK
Rigging experts from Blackout, UK Rigging, RTM Rigging, Production Services Ireland (PSI) and the NEC Group came together at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham late last month for a trial run of the UK’s new live event rigging apprenticeship.
The apprenticeship, developed by the National Rigging Advisory Group (NRAG) as part of the British government’s Trailblazer scheme to create three million new apprentices by 2020, is designed to plug a gap in the number of trainees created by increasing demand for riggers for live events.
Apprentices will follow an on-the-job training programme accompanied by, among other things, certificated courses and two week-long residentials. Successful candidates will obtain a level-3 national vocational qualification (NVQ).
Six trainee volunteer riggers from Blackout and the NEC Group undertook a test rigging installation at the arena on 29 June, observed by assessors Mark Armstrong (RTM Rigging), Harry Box (UK Rigging), Sean Pagel (PSI) and rigging consultant Eric Porter. The assessors marked the trainees against six criteria: general health and safety; work methods; rigging skills and techniques; working at height; team work; and communication and behaviours.
“This apprenticeship is a big move for the industry, so ensuring the right assessment methods are implemented is paramount to its success”
Paul Rowlands, rigging development manager for the NEC Group, says: “The [trial] day provided us with some very insightful feedback that can be used when modifying the final assessment product. By involving both current trainees and an expert assessment team, we hope to provide a well-rounded and thorough apprenticeship, which stands apprentices in good stead for a career in rigging.
“This is a big move for the industry, so ensuring the right assessment methods are implemented is paramount to its success.”
Anyone interested in applying for the apprenticeship should email [email protected].
IQ revealed earlier this month that Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR) is lobbying the British government to create a similar apprenticeship for aspiring ticket agents.
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Call for ticketing apprenticeship
The UK’s Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR) is lobbying the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to create a ticketing apprenticeship.
Responding to feedback from its members, many of whom STAR says are “employers [who] wish to establish apprenticeship standards for ticketing, the society sent a letter to BIS on 24 June, and the department is now formally considering its bid for approval.
The proposal, ‘Ticketing for Entertainment and Visitor Attractions’, is listed on the BIS website as bid number 41 (between similar bids for apprenticeships for social work and car repair).
STAR is asking that its members and anyone else who would like to see ticketing training become a reality to express their support by responding to the BIS survey, which is one factor used by the department to assess the bid. The deadline is 15 July.
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