A new two-year apprenticeship standard for AV technicians has been approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education in the UK, opening up opportunities to recruit apprentices who can begin training from January 2022.

The aim of the Level 5 Audiovisual Apprenticeship Standard is to plug a long-standing industry skills gap and has been developed by Middlesbrough College lecturer, Jack Laidlaw, together with the help of employers and industry figures, prominent among them Graeme Massey of JacobsMassey.

Employers wanting to take on apprentices need to find an appropriate apprenticeship standard, which has just been achieved, and then they need to find a training provider for 20% of the apprentice’s working week – a role that can be fulfilled by Middlesbrough College which will take the apprentices on to a two-year foundation degree in audiovisual technology.

This new foundation course, validated by the Open University, will be taught remotely.  The college will also continue to offer a BSc (Hons) degree in audiovisual technology as a top-up degree, following on from the two-year foundation degree that forms the basis of the apprenticeship.

How to employ an Audiovisual Technician Apprentice

If you are an employer and would like to find out how to employ an Audiovisual Technician Apprentice under the new apprenticeship standard, we strongly encourage you to register for the online launch event taking place on 1 November 2.00pm-3.00pm.

About the event

JacobsMassey’s production team will be delivering an educational virtual event for ALL employers, Monday 1st November 2.00pm-3.00pm live from their Soho studio.

Hosted by Chris Power (Chairman of AVCF) in conversation with Jack Laidlaw (Programme Leader, Middlesbrough College), a representative from the IFA (Institute for Apprenticeships) and the Tutorial Team delivering the apprenticeship.

In Attendance:

• Graeme Massey (Trailblazer Group Chair)
• Karen Hedger (AIM Representative)
• Chris Burroughs (AV Systems Integration Tutor)
• Jason Reeve (On-Site Event Production Tutor)
• Jamie Donnelly (Audio Tutor)
• Andy Harrison (Video/Projection Tutor)
• Rob Bullard (Professional Development Tutor)
• Gabriel Thorp (Online Events and Conferencing Tutor)

Agenda:

• Presentation by Jack Laidlaw on the AV apprenticeship scheme and associated training programme
• Presentation by the IFA and NAS reps on taking on an apprentice.
• Introduction to apprenticeship assessment by Karen Hedger
• In conversation with Jack Laidlaw and Chris Power
• Pre-recorded videos from: Kieran Atkins (Former Student), Chris Burroughs (Tutor), Gabriel Thorp (Tutor), Rob Bullard (Tutor) and Jack Laidlaw (Programme Lead)
• Q&A

This will be an opportunity for you, employers to understand how you can take on an Apprentice and ask any questions of the Tutorial Team on course content. Meet the teacher so-to-speak! A recording will be available on JM’s YouTube channel and will serve as an “evergreen” tutorial for prospective employers going forward.

jacobsmassey.co.uk