Simulated Work Environment

Hybrid Arts provide the opportunity for people to experience first-hand what life is like in a simulated studio environment within the creative industries. Users have access to studios equipped with industry-standard hardware and software, and sessions are delivered by practising artists. Hybrid Arts are witness to the positive motivational impact being part of a professional working environment has on learners.

Hybrid Arts have established relationships with a number of organisations and professionals from across the creative industries. Our central positioning within the industry puts our users at the heart of the creative sector, encouraging them to develop skills in a dynamic environment geared towards creativity and enterprise. Hybrid Arts is home to a small, lively team of artists working across a diverse range of fields, making for a working environment which is the antithesis of the conventional office mould.

Future Outlook

In the current economic climate, the need for re-skilling and boosting the confidence of a growing marginalised workforce will be crucial.

Unemployment has risen particularly sharply for young people; the jobless rate among 18 to 24 year olds is 16.1%, more than twice the increase than among 29 to 50 year olds. In the West Midlands, there are nearly 55,000 young people (aged 18–24) in the region claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance, equating to more than one in ten young people (claimant rate 10.6%). This is the highest youth claimant rate among the English regions. The West Midlands has been the worst affected of all the regions with unemployment increasing by more in this region (3.1 percentage points) than any other over the year to October 2009.

Hybrid Arts are passionate about the role creative technology and related art forms have to play in equipping our young people for the future.

Future Jobs

Hybrid Arts are involved in the Future Jobs scheme, creating opportunities for young people in the following roles:

Trainee Media Trainer – to support Hybrid Media Trainers delivering sessions to young people

Trainee Music Trainer – to support Hybrid Music Trainers delivering sessions to young people. This post will largely be based at Indestructible -Hybrid’s music studio and youth club.

Technician – a technical all-rounder to support tutors and artists

Technical Assistant in Music – to support tutors and artists, and help to set up our music studio, prepare for gigs

Technical Assistant in Video and Interactive Media – to support tutors and artists, sourcing and purchasing equipment/software, design work

Administrator/Receptionist – to provide administrative support to the team of directors, office staff and trainers and facilitating guest visits and meetings

The Government has created a £1 billion Future Jobs Fund to create around 150,000 new jobs. This is a new approach to create jobs and provide hope for young people and jobseekers in deprived communities. Hybrid Arts are developing a number of employment opportunities through this fund.

The 2009 Budget announced the Young Person’s Guarantee  – which includes a guaranteed offer of work or training to every 18-24 year old in Britain at risk of becoming long-term unemployed. This will give many thousands of young people invaluable skills and work experience that will help them secure a worthwhile job, and will strive to ensure that no young adult is permanently disadvantaged by the recession.

Despite the recession, creative enterprises are continually seeking out new talent. Hybrid Arts are opening up a range of opportunities for young people that will give them vital work experience for the long-term.

The wider picture for the creative industries

Produced by the LSC, Talent 2 Market is a review of education and training in the creative and media sector. The result of concerted efforts from creative and media employers, educational providers, skills and training agencies, Talent 2 Market was the first creative and media skills review of its kind, produced in 2008. Hybrid Arts were fortunate to have a live presentation by Michael Ryan, Creative Skills Development Manager at the LSC, before the report was published. The review is valuable in creating a more focused and relevant skills offer in the region and the UK as a whole. It is aimed at assisting employers and providers to make the most of the aspiring, diverse and talented people of the West Midlands. According to Jonnie Turpie, founder of Maverick Television, “in carrying out the review it has become clear that skills and competencies in the creative industries are valuable across sectors. It is also clear on our fast changing economy that skills have to be grown from an earlier and earlier age if young people are to extend themselves and gain employment. These must cross academic, vocational, enterprise and market focused skills.”

The review highlights two major challenges. For providers, there is currently an oversupply of a myriad of courses, which needs to be more focused and simplified with greater attend paid to industry and enterprise skills. For employers, there is a depth of work based and related learning opportunities. The full report can be downloaded here talent2market