Early Entrant Pathways

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This training programme is supported by the ScreenSkills High-end TV Skills Fund with contributions from UK high-end TV productions. ScreenSkills is the industry-led body for the UK’s screen industries.

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Early Entrant Pathways is a partnership programme delivered by NFTS Scotland with BECTU Vision.

Are you starting out in film & TV in Scotland?

This series of short training courses has been designed to provide department specific next step training courses for those in the early stages of their careers, particularly those who have undertaken initial training through Hit the Ground Running and Get Set Go with BECTU Vision.

Each course will provide a deep dive into the function of each department on a production, an overview of the day-to-day running of the department, the roles and responsibilities of the entry level positions in the department and how it works with other departments. Participants will also receive key advice for how to survive and thrive in the industry.

Led by an experienced industry practitioner, the training course participants will develop and build their skills, resilience and employability.

The training courses are free of charge and a contribution towards travel and childcare costs is also available where applicable.

These courses will be delivered in person in Glasgow. Accessibility support is available.

APPLY FOR 2025 PROGRAMME

PART 1: Online application form and you are required to upload your CV. A short and simple CV is sufficient - for help in writing your CV, check out the Creative Toolkit. CVs should be saved as a .pdf with your name as the file name.

---> Complete the application form here <---

PART 2: Online anonymous equalities monitoring survey. COMPLETE THIS HERE

DATES FOR 2025

The TWO DAY courses this year will include:

Set Ready: Working in the Camera Department - Thurs 1st and Fri 2nd May (FULL)
Set Ready: Working in the Costume Department - Fri 9th and Sat 10th May
Set Ready: Working in the Assistant Directors' Department - Mon 12th and Tues 13th May (FULL)
Set Ready: Working in the Sound Department - Tues 13th and Wed 14th May
Set Ready: Working in the Make-up Department -Wed 14th and Thurs 15th May
Set Ready: Working in the Production Department- Sat 17th and Sun 18th May (FULL)
Set Ready: Working in the Production Department (second running) - Sat 7th and Sun 8th June (FULL)
Set Ready: Working in the Assistant Directors' Department (second running) - Mon 9th and Tues 10th June
Set Ready: Working in the Location Department - Sat 28th and Sun 29th June
Set Ready: Working in the Art Department - Thurs 8th and Friday 9th May (JUST ANNOUNCED)

To hear first about one of the above courses or to express interest in a particular course complete the waiting list form here

About ScreenSkills:

ScreenSkills is the industry-led skills body for the UK's screen-based creative industries - animation, film, games, television including children’s and high-end, VFX and immersive technology. We work across the whole of the country to build an inclusive workforce with the skills needed for continued success, now and in the future. http://www.screenskills.com

Fees and funding options

If you are selected, the courses are free to attend.

Entry requirements

Applicants should be 18+, based in Scotland and actively seeking work in this sector
Students are not eligible for the training (unless agreed)
If you are not eligible for the programme, you can still sign up to the waiting list for EEP or our mailing list for our wider list of courses.

If you don't meet this criteria but still want to

We recognise that some individuals face additional barriers to establishing a freelance career in film and television. In order to encourage a more diverse pool of new entrants, we particularly welcome applications from those who identify with the following groups:

- If you describe yourself as being ethnically diverse
- If you have a disability and/or a long term health condition
- If you have a learning difference
- If during your school years, your household received income support
- If you are female and wish to specialise in the technical areas of film & tv production
- If you have geographical barriers to accessing training

If you identify with any of the above groups and would like to have a chat with us before you submit your application, please contact us at scotland@nfts.co.uk

Application Procedure:
There are two parts!

Please give full and detailed answers to the application questions as the selection panel will carefully consider your responses when selecting participants. You may wish to take a note of the application questions and work on your answers offline before pasting them into the online application page.

If you'd prefer, you can submit either a video or an audio recording of answers to questions 7-12. The audio/video file should be no more than 5 minutes long, saved in an .mp3 or .mp4 format with your name as the filename and emailed to scotland@nfts.co.uk before the deadline with Early Entrant Pathways Programme in the subject line. Questions 1-6 and the equality questions should still be completed and submitted via this form.

To submit your online application, press the DONE button at the bottom of the final page. You will then see a confirmation webpage.

What we look for in applications:
Our courses are often oversubscribed and not all applicants gain a place. Our selection panel look for evidence of:

An understanding of the industry
You'll learn more about the industry on these courses, but in selecting applicants, we want you to demonstrate a broad, general understanding of how the film and TV industry works.

Enthusiasm and motivation
We would like you to show a passion for the film and television industry. You will need to be extremely motivated to succeed! We want to help you to do just that but you need to show us that you are committed to a career in this area.

Transferable Skills
We'd like to know what skills you've gained from your previous experience and how they'd be useful working in film and television.