Creative

Helping Londoners get jobs in film, television, animation, visual effects and games

The Creative Academy Hub at Capital City College Group focuses primarily on the screen industries, which employs more than 211,000 people and has a turnover of £40 billion per year. With around 24,000 businesses operating within the industry, an impressive 70% are based in London and the Southeast.

We are the first London College to actively encourage under-represented groups to consider a career in the screen industries, providing free skills training, employment packages, and financial support to assist with courses and qualifications across a variety of industry sectors and grades.

The training through our Creative Academy Hub gives you a valuable insight into the careers available in the creative sector. In addition to the academic curriculum, the hub can enhance your career opportunities with funding for driving lessons, first aid training, and masterclasses.

From production carpenters and costumiers to 3D animators and line producers, you could work as:

Supervisor or coordinator
Data wrangler or VFX assistant
Production secretary, production coordinators, production manages or line producer
Production accountant
Animation technician, junior animator, layout artist, or 3D animator
Game developer, designer or programmer, producer or writer
Software and hardware engineer
Set carpenter or electrician
Legal or business manager

Our Mayor’s Skills Academies are all credited by The Quality Mark which identifies our academies to be excellent, industry-relevant training in the capital. The Quality Mark Statement also represents our commitment to including a combination of sector specific questions, and wider cross cutting issues like diversity and inclusion, sustainability, Good Work and the engagement of under-represented groups.

Mayor’s Skills Academies

The Mayor of London’s Skills Academies supports Londoners get into careers and the capital’s long-term economic growth as part of the Mayor’s London Recovery Plan in response to the COVID pandemic.

Westminster Kingsway College, as part of Capital City College Group (CCCG), has secured funding to run this academy.

In total, CCCG has secured £1.5 million £1.5 million to run four academy hubs to help Londoners into Good Work and reduce the employment gap between different groups of Londoners, this includes people who are newly unemployed as well as people facing inequality and who are underrepresented in each sector:

Mayor ESF (European Social Fund) Skills Academies

Depending on your individual learning situation, we can offer additional support through the Mayor’s ESF Skills Academy to:

Incorporate effective careers advice and guidance, job search support, employer contact and occupational profiling to help you find the job that’s right for you.
Combine effective wrap around support, personal support, and employability support to help you become fully confident and develop experience, skills and competencies needed to secure employment.
Improve your chances of securing employment with organisations that are committed to “Good Work”; to ensure you have regular working patterns and London living wage.
Incorporate employer led training to equip you with the skills that are directly sought by employers.

About Film London’s Equal Access Network (EAN)

Film London’s Equal Access Network (EAN) is supported by the Mayor of London. Through it, Film London works to ensure the capital’s screen industries represent the diversity of the city itself. The core aim is to promote equality, inclusion and diversity: Film London wants the EAN to be the link in an industry network for those that don’t have it.

Film London sees first-hand the industry’s enthusiasm and high demand for a diverse and inclusive workforce. They provide the link between untapped under-represented and diverse talent and the companies or productions looking to recruit. To reach this talent, they work closely with training providers, charities and foundations across London. Read more about our Partnership with Film London here.

Empowering under-represented groups and low-income households

The training and employment available through the Mayor of London’s Skills Academies is tailored to meet the needs and aspirations of under-represented groups and low-income households, and addresses the entrenched and structural barriers that prevent these groups from accessing sustainable Good Work opportunities. These groups include

People from Black and ethnic minority groups
Women
Unemployed people
People earning below the London living wage
Young people
Lone parents and people with caring responsibilities
Disabled people
People aged 50+

Our Facilities

All our students in the creative sector will have access to our world-class facilities including:

Classrooms and lecture theatres
TV, film, and music studios
Computer suites
Event, conference, and meeting rooms
Use of high spec digital media and IT equipment

Click here to see our full list of courses at WestKing

Student Testimonials

“Bootcamp was useful in terms of getting familiarised with the workflow and software used in the industry and the apprenticeship programme was what got me to where I am today.”

GEN

Westminster Kingsway College

Gen joined Westminster Kingsway College to undertake a Level 3 Creative Media Diploma. After completing his Level 3, Gen secured a place on our GLA Digital Talent funded NextGen Futures visual effects bootcamp. This project was specifically designed to bring high level training to disadvantaged young Londoners through an eight-week intensive training model.

Gen was guided through our Level 3 Creative Media qualifications, gained valuable knowledge experience on our GLA funded VFX bootcamp which ultimately led to his successful application to a Visual Effects Level 4 Apprenticeship. Gen is now working as a Junior Roto and Paint Artist at one of the most prestigious global VFX companies, Industrial Light and Magic.

A flexible and supportive approach to screen skills training

We provide free training opportunities and support packages to help you get a job in the screen industries. We do this by providing bespoke flexible programmes that fit around your circumstances and availability. Our aim is to give you the confidence and skills you need to be employable within 3 to 4 weeks, and a guaranteed job interview with an employer who is accredited with the Good Work Standard. For those who need that extra support we work with ESF Academies to ensure everyone can benefit from our Academies and sector opportunities. Training includes:

Short 2–3-week introductory courses
Online bitesize Learning from Level 2 to Level 6 qualifications
Masterclasses for in-demand roles, delivered in partnership with employers
Day and week-long bootcamps
Sector-based work combining training and work experience, leading to guaranteed interviews and employment.
Film Fixer’s ‘Set Ready’ training, which includes masterclasses, participatory seminars and Q&As with industry professionals who will provide insight into the industry across a range of disciplines.
Personalised Information Advice and Guidance, careers advice and Job search.
Tailored Sector employability workshops
Award in employability L1 and L2
Advice and guidance for self-employment

You can also access a wide range of personal and ‘soft skills’ training, and individual support to address your barriers to training and employment:

Workshops in specific personal and employability skills, for example resilience, communication.
Multiple step-on and step-off points for greater flexibility
Free additional courses up to Level 3 in a wide range of areas
Personal tutors
Mentoring
Apprenticeships and work experience including pre-apprenticeships and pre-employment training
Industry engagement and careers support sessions with employers
Work experience
Equipment
Help with job applications, writing your CV and cover letters

Learn creative industry skills with some of the biggest names in the sector

Our Partners

We have partnered with Film London (and supported by Middlesex University and London Higher) as part of the Mayor’s Skills Academies.

The Creative Hub will provide skills training and education to help people into a wide range of jobs in the film, TV, animation, visual effects and games sectors, from supervisors, production carpenters and costumiers, to 3D animators, game developers, technicians and production managers, as well as legal, support and administrative roles. Our Skills Academy works with employers to design education programmes that will give the industry the skilled people they need to help their businesses to grow and to safeguard the future of the sector.

Film London is the capital’s screen industries agency. “We connect ideas, talent and finance to develop a pioneering creative culture in the city that delivers success in film, television, animation, games and beyond. We work to sustain, promote and develop London as a global content production hub, support the development of the city’s new and emerging filmmaking talent and invest in a diverse and rich film culture. Funded by the Mayor of London and the National Lottery through the BFI, we also receive support from Arts Council England, ScreenSkills and the Heritage Lottery Fund” – Film London. Read more about our launch with Film London here.

London Higher is the membership organisation for universities and higher education colleges across London. The largest representative body of its kind in England, London Higher represents the full diversity of the capital’s higher vibrant education sector, from small and specialist conservatoires and research institutes to large, multi-faculty universities. “We are the place where universities and higher education colleges come together to identify the opportunities and address the challenges of studying and operating in the capital” – London Higher.

Middlesex University London prides itself in creating knowledge with their vision to transform outcomes for individuals, communities and organisations and to empower people to change their lives. Their learning community has practice at the heart of what they do across education, research and knowledge exchange, and engagement. They work in partnership with others and bring people together to create solutions to complex problems.

Middlesex University has a wide range of facilities across their campus’ that are located across three continents with campuses in London, Dubai, and Mauritius. They give students opportunities to take a study exchange between countries too.

ScreenSkills Select endorsement

We are endorsed by ScreenSkills Select, the industry-led skills body for the screen industries. When you train with us, you can be confident that all of our relevant courses and training has gone through a rigorous process to demonstrate a high level of quality and industry relevance.

Through our partnership with ScreenSkills you have access to a wide range of resources and benefits including mentoring, careers advice, work experience, and job opportunities.

ScreenSkills is the industry-led skills body for the screen industries – film, television (including children’s, unscripted and high-end), VFX (visual effects), animation and games. “We are supporting economic recovery and future innovation and growth across the nations and regions by investing in the skilled and inclusive workforce who are critical to the UK screen industries’ global success. “We provide insight, career development and other opportunities to help people get into the industry and progress within it.

Industry Employers

Over 23 employers within the screen industries sector have already pledged their support to working with us to help you develop the confidence and skills you need for a career in film, television, animation, visual effects, and games including:

Warner Media
NBC Universal
Netflix
Sony Pictures
Frame store – Animation & VFX
Blue Zoo Animation
Jellyfish
DNEG
Sports Interactive
Flavour Works
Pinewood Studios
Twickenham Studios
Location Collective

London North Studios
MBS Group
Two Brothers
Fable Pictures
Sony
Enfield Council
Angels
Troubadour
Lupus
Screen Skills
ILM
NextGen

How to apply

All our courses are part of the academies. Choose a relevant course, and the Academy will then work with you to ensure you are able to access the course.

Courses include: