Multiplatform (Technical)

Descriptions

Skillset, the Sector Skills Council for Creative Media (which comprises TV, film, radio, interactive media, animation, computer games, facilities, photo imaging, publishing, advertising and fashion & textiles) is the strategic body, licensed by government and endorsed by industry, to develop the skills, training and education policy for the Creative Media Industries. Skillset Cymru, the Welsh arm of the council, is tasked with taking forward Skillset''''s work within a Welsh context.Skillset Cymru has secured funding support from the European Social Fund (ESF) via the Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO) to deliver the Skills for the Digital Economy Programme. This programme seeks to develop and deliver flexible, industry-led, high level skills provision which meets the needs of Creative Media employers and freelancers working in West Wales and the Valleys, supporting the knowledge economy and safeguarding the performance and productivity of the sector in these regions. These regions include the unitary authorities of Isle of Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd,Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Merthyr Tydfil, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly and Torfaen. Please note that as a condition of the funding, this programme is not pan-Wales in scope and focuses entirely on supporting the Creative Media workforce in West Wales and the Valleys, where GDP per head in these regions is 7% lower than the European average. For participants to be eligible, they must live or work within these areas. For further guidance on eligibility, please refer to Section 3 of the Delivery Guidelines for Training Providers 2011).Industry in West Wales and the Valleys has identified the need for a multi-platform training programme aimed at professionals with some relevant experience and/or qualification (e.g. a year or more experience and/or a computing/multimedia degree). The training programme will see delegates develop a thorough understanding of how to manage a multi-platform project from start to finish, covering the technical and creative aspects as well the project management.Technical and Creative: Industry has identified the following skills needs:1.Design of web sites or web applications (creative emphasis, including working with technical teams);2.Development of web sites and web applications (technical emphasis, including working with creative teams). Providers may want to separate this out into some specific units within a module (e.g. HTML5, CSS)3.Design and development of mobile applications (building apps and content for different platforms using common technologies, including smartphones and tablet devices);4.E-marketing - online/social medial publishing or content distribution;5.Open Source technologies and how to apply them for business (improving capability and save money over legacy platforms/solutions);6.E-commerce offering new sources of monetisation for a more traditional business;7.Using Content Management Systems to author and maintain web content;8.Exploitation in terms of marketing and market awareness across platforms9.Creative (e.g. innovation/visualising skills/interface design).Project Management:1.Introduction to/awareness of industry-standard methodologies (e.g. PRINCE2, Agile) and how to apply them effectively;2.Introduction to industry standard tools (e.g. MS Project) and how to use them effectively;3.Identifying, managing, and mitigating Risk in projects4.Scoping a multiplatform project – clarifying the needs of the customer, and matching the right solutions to these needs;5.Pricing the solution (managing the input of different team members e.g. developer, designer, media) – and justifying the value of the proposal ;6.Effective resource management - using the right technical/ editorial experts to deliver the right solutions; pulling the team together and managing the project; 7.Scoping the content for different delivery platforms; 8.Technical writing (how to write project documentation clearly, how to write for a collaborative brief (e.g. the tech or multiplatform part of a bigger tender)9.Managing Progress (Time management, working to milestones/deadlines, managing progress, recovering slippage, evaluating the effectiveness of the initial project delivery)The training will be intensive and hand-on with case studies, live tasks and real life industry briefs being set. There should be a strong focus on ‘employability’ (i.e. transferable and useful skills) and with that in mind the training will need to be more practical than theory based.The training should also look at how to break down the barriers/ the differences between purely creative people and the technical/interactive people working on a programme offer, to ensure it is delivered as a 360 degree proposition from the outset and to ensure both ‘parties’ are working towards the same end product.