One size fits all

The arts sector in Wales has worked for many years on creating a general technical theatre apprenticeship to ensure the provision of well-rounded employees with all the necessary skills to be an in-house technician. No such scheme had been available until recently, though specialised technical courses had existed in areas such as lighting, sound and stage management. Key participants in the sector worked with Creative and Cultural Skills (CCskills) to design the Creative Apprenticeship scheme and ensure the model was suitable for organisations and venues of all sizes.

Theatr Mwldan recently employed two apprentices under the scheme, which is managed by CC Skills with training provided by Swansea Gower College and financial support from the Welsh Government. It has been a very positive experience. Before the introduction of the Creative Apprentice scheme the theatre was in a vulnerable situation should a technician decide to move on, as from past recruiting experiences the skills base in the area for technical theatre wasn’t promising. The rural locality of Theatr Mwldan raises relocation issues and can be a problem when seeking skilled individuals. The fixed term of the apprenticeship gives a flexibility that would not be possible when recruiting a full-time member of staff, and it’s a great way to open possibilities for young individuals in the locality who either want to try out a career in the industry without committing to a full-time college placement, or have been to college, not pursued their first chosen career and want to try something different.

Administratively the apprenticeship scheme has been straightforward: there is minimal paper work with a quarterly claim form to draw down funding for apprentices salaries, which is paid in arrears. The apprentice is managed on pay roll as any other employee with similar terms and conditions. The training provider conducted a safety assessment of the workplace, examined our Health & Safety related documents and provided us with a safety vetting document. This only needs to be done every three years.

The second time we went through the recruitment process we were better placed to recognise the personal qualities that would suit both the organisation and the post. We felt it appropriate to interview nearly all applicants, as more traditional criteria such as experience, qualifications and skills were not as relevant to this post. We based the criteria on the individuals’ knowledge and enthusiasm for the venue and the role of an apprentice.

The scheme has been of great benefit to our employed technicians as they’ve provided mentoring and training to the apprentices, which in turn has improved their skill base as they’ve reflected on the skills and tasks they have been teaching.

Thinking about my own path to present employment and having entered the sector without any formal training, I have to admit there have been times when my knowledge and skills have left me short. I would have jumped at the chance of the Creative Apprentice scheme and being able to work and train.