School leavers and graduates have been recruited to work on major film and TV productions at Sky Studios Elstree.

The inaugural group is made up of 12 young people and is the first intake of its kind for the county's newest studio.

The year-long placements will not only offer first hand production experience, but also insight into the management of a state-of-the-art studio facility.

The young people from across Hertsmere and the UK are set to work on high-end TV and blockbuster film productions as part of a ground-breaking training programme launched by Sky Studios Elstree.

Named the Sky Content Academy, part of Sky’s broader work to support new talent, local students and graduates have been selected for these paid roles and have already started supporting the highly anticipated film adaptation of Wicked, staring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.

Noel Tovey, MD of Sky Studios Elstree, said: "We are seeing huge global demand for studio space, and with that there is a vital need for talent to fill the ever-growing job market.

"We couldn’t be more excited to have our first Content Academy team in place, but this is just the start for us as we look towards becoming a training ground for young, local people."

Welwyn Hatfield Times: Noel Tovey, managing director of Sky Studios Elstree Noel Tovey, managing director of Sky Studios Elstree (Image: © Sky UK Limited.)

Universal Production Services, a sister company for Sky based in Elstree, have also welcomed new members to their team as they get hands-on experience in lighting, rigging and more.

Members of the Sky Content Academy team will receive specialist training and mentoring from world-class filmmakers as they rotate across a range of roles over the course of a year, giving them experience of working on productions as well as managing a busy studio facility.

Whilst this is the first intake of placements at Sky's new Elstree studio, the Sky Content Academy has already welcomed 48 school or college leavers and recent graduates to join Sky’s content teams in Osterley, working across Sky Sports, Sky News and some of Sky’s best content.

This new offering in Hertfordshire has a focus on hiring locally - and 75 per cent of the team recruited have come from the surrounding areas. 

Tori Brittain, Sky Content Academy Graduate, said: "I never imagined I would be working with top filmmaking talent and A-list celebrities at a studio just down the road from where I live.

"I’ve already had amazing experiences and I can’t wait to see what’s next."

These hires follow on from research conducted by PWC which finds that the film and TV industry is set to boom in the UK, with investment in production forecast to grow by 5% a year for the next five years.

If you are a school leaver or recent graduate, take a look at the Sky Early Careers website where you can also register your interest to be part of the Content Academy at Elstree or Osterley.

You can also apply for one of the other Sky Early Career opportunities within business, tech or customer apprenticeships, summer internships and graduate programmes.