Lockdown caused considerable disruption to young people’s education. It also impacted on being able to undertake the placements that are required as part of their course work. With many organisations and firms furloughing staff, and an increase in redundancies, most were not able to offer young people placements or other opportunities.

Real Time partnered with a local tertiary colleges to launch an online work experience project for  students. Offering online remote placements to over 50 creative media students from Reading, Bracknell and Wokingham College, Real Time Video invited students to create short films for Silo Cinema, its online screening platform.

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As creative industries often have predominantly freelance-based workforces, when seeking work after their studies, students will be expected to demonstrate experience of delivering creative

materials within a real-world situation. Through delivering filmmaking workshops, Real Time aim to offer creative work to equip young people with the skills and knowledge for future employment.

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Research undertaken by Real Time uncovered that young adults who experience a greater volume of school-mediated employer engagement feel better prepared for the adult working world, national research indicating that young people who undertake at least four work experience placements are 84% more likely to be in work.

Real Time working with young people used a participatory action research methodology to consult young people on the type of work experience they need and their expectations of what working in the creative industries might hold for them. The project in particular focused on those young people who are disadvantaged in terms of access to work experience.