UK Screen Announces Partnership with JAMES for Audio Training Accreditation

27th September 2007 - At its annual Conch Sound Awards, UK Screen (formerly UK Post) will announce a partnership with JAMES (Joint Audio Media Educational Service) which will help to take forward its initiatives for audio sector training. JAMES was created by the education arm of the APRS (Association of Professional Recording Services) and the MPG (Music Producers Guild), who have jointly been evaluating audio courses for over a decade. Now with the added support of UK Screen, the programme will expand to include courses in audio post-production and other areas of film and television that were not covered in the existing accreditation.

Right: Tony Andrews (JAMES) and
Gaynor Davenport (UK Screen)

JAMES was created to be a link between the professional audio industry and education with an initial focus on music recording and production skills. It currently offers accreditation for courses in higher and further education that provide training in areas established as being attractive to potential employers. UK Screen members have expressed concerns that it is difficult to know what courses best prepare graduates with the skills that facilities are looking for from entry-level applicants. After looking at possible programmes of course evaluation, it was decided to link into the existing structure that had been established for over a decade by the APRS and MPG.

JAMES is currently working with UK Screen to document the specific content that the industry would ideally expect courses to include. This will form the basis of an accreditation programme with links to UK Screen and its members. As well as accreditation, JAMES also provides courses with access to industry professionals who can advise course leaders on specific issues and techniques. This also includes JAMES masterclasses and seminar panels, where industry individuals interact directly with students and courses.

“Students looking for careers in audio, be it music, film or TV are often met with a confusing number of options for training,” comments Tony Andrews on behalf of JAMES. “JAMES accreditation is one benchmark that students can look to as confirmation that a course has approval of the industry where they hope to work. Likewise with so many courses turning out graduates, employers can often find it difficult to know what course best prepares students for employment. Graduation from a JAMES accredited course is a helpful filter.”