On Thursday 16th March, over a hundred industry guests attended Sgil Cymru’s first Dathliad event, celebrating the success of the apprenticeship class of 2016 and marking a year of professional media training at its Cardiff training centre.
Kindly hosted by Pinewood Studio Wales and sponsored by Wales Screen/Sgrîn Cymru, Lockett TV & Film Transport, and Cardiff and Vale College through the Quality Skills Alliance,
the event featured a live television broadcast from Pinewood on Made in Cardiff TV. After informal networking on the mezzanine floor, the apprentices of the class of 2016 were given statuettes to mark their graduation from the scheme, presented to them by Jerry Lockett and Nadine Roberts.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Creative Risk Solutions Special Award, which acknowledges the achievements and success of a former apprentice as an inspiration to apprentices of the future. The prize of £250 was given to joint winners Gabriella Gardner and Simon Guy.
Gabriella was an apprentice Casting Assistant with Regan Management, and completed the programme in 2014. Since then, Regan Management have opened a further office in Bristol and Gabby has risen through the ranks to become an agent.
Also completing the scheme in 2014, Simon was a Camera Apprentice with BBC Cymru Wales, working on dramas including Casualty and Pobol Y Cwm. At the end of the programme, Simon became a camera trainee with the BBC and has since graduated to camera assistant.
After only a year at Pinewood Studio Wales, Sgil Cymru has become Wales’ largest media trainer – delivering three apprenticeship programmes simultaneously, plus fortnight-long courses for film Production Managers, Script Supervisors and Location Managers, an AD crash course for new 3rd ADs in TV drama, and training in Movie Magic Budgeting and Scheduling.
Sue Jeffries, Managing Director of Sgil Cymru said
“It is wonderful to have had the chance to celebrate the graduation of this apprenticeship class, and to hear all of their stories of how their media careers are progressing. I would like to thank our event sponsors Wales Screen/Sgrîn Cymru, Lockett TV & Film Transport, and Cardiff and Vale College through the Quality Skills Alliance, our hosts Pinewood Studio Wales and Creative Risk Solutions for establishing what will become an annual special award to recognise the inspiration that former apprentices can be to others.
We look forward to another fantastic year training film and television professionals at Pinewood Studio Wales.”