Help Heathrow Jobseekers find work in Guildford's games industry

Help Heathrow Jobseekers find work in Guildford games

Local jobseekers previously employed in the aviation industry at Heathrow airport are being supported to transfer their skills into the UK’s world-renowned film, TV and games industries.

The aim of the Skills to Screen: Aviation initiative is to help workers losing their jobs or at risk of doing so identify what skills they may have and how these may help parts of the screen industries which need more people because of strong growth in the sector.  It is hoped that the games companies for which Guildford is now known can help.

Delivered by the skills body ScreenSkills in partnership with Pinewood Studios, and Buckinghamshire and Enterprise M3 LEPs (local enterprise partnerships), Skills to Screen: Aviation is targeted at workers from Heathrow and its supply chain precisely because many will also live within travelling distance of Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire, or its sister site, Shepperton Studios, Middlesex, and the games cluster in Guildford.

So far the programme has identified people with expertise in areas such as accounts, digital, project management, retail, administration and logistics as well as craft and technical skills such as carpentry and construction.

Around half of more than 200 people who took part in online events introducing them to the screen industries have been sufficiently interested in a possible move to take their interest to the next stages. And ScreenSkills is now contacting employers at all these locations to determine current skills shortages or imminent work vacancies.

If you are recruiting or planning to recruit in the new year for low to medium specialist vacancies please complete a short online survey, to enable participants to be connected with real opportunities.

Seetha Kumar, ScreenSkills CEO, said: “Transferable skills from aviation and the supply chain at Heathrow in areas including logistics, accounts and office roles could play an important role in addressing the needs of UK’s world-famous film, TV and games industries. Despite the immediate challenges of Covid, the screen sector has skills shortages so there are jobs to be filled to meet strong consumer demand.”

The programme has been funded by the Department for Work and Pensions following a £150 million boost to the Flexible Support Fund as part of the Government’s Plan for Jobs.

It’s been a difficult year for many people affected by the pandemic. This programme at least holds hope of new opportunities for some. Please make contact if you can do anything to help.