Last week (October 22), Sky and Adobe launched ‘The Edit’ – a new school-focused e-learning programme designed to boost media and digital literacy skills of 30,000 young people across the UK and Ireland.
Homing in on the region’s lower-income areas, The Edit is set to empower future leaders of media by breaking down barriers to entry and bridging the gap in digital skills, on top of providing first-hand insights into career opportunities in the field.
“There are significant barriers to entry in the media industry that have to be broken down,” said Stephen van Rooyen, executive vice-president of Sky and CEO of the UK and Europe. “The Edit will inspire thousands of young people to consider a career in media, to experience what it’s like to write, edit, produce and broadcast the news.
“Every child, in every community, should have access to digital programmes,” he explained. “The Edit can help them find their voice and build the essential digital skills that the future of our economy replies upon.”
“Every child, in every community, should have access to digital programmes” – Stephen van Rooyen, Sky
Designed for students at both primary- and secondary-level, The Edit offers a training platform through which learners can create broadcast news reports from script through to screen. Supported by Adobe’s creative tools and Sky’s content, participants can submit their climate change-themed TV reports to a national competition, with the winners set to be announced on Sky News’ FYI.
Using topical climate change issues to inspire aspiring media moguls, the project will encourage discussion of the ongoing global environmental crisis, urging them to use their voice to emphasise the #GoZero campaign and forming an integral part of Sky’s corporate goal to be net zero carbon by 2030. Working with Adobe’s video production tools Adobe Spark Video and Adobe Premiere Rush, learners will grow their digital storytelling, collaboration and communication skills, which are highly sought-after by employers in the broadcast sector and beyond.
Through curriculum-aligned teaching resources and lesson plans for both in-person and remote delivery, teachers have all they need to conduct the programme with confidence. Not only that, but they also have access to invaluable Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities to help evolve their practice.
Nishy Lall, head of young people at Sky, commented: “We want to help the next generation reach their potential. Through Sky Academy Studios, we have been able to work with school children to raise their aspirations, develop new skills and broaden [the] horizons of what they can achieve in life. The Edit gives us the opportunity to reach children from all communities across the UK and Ireland, giving them this same valuable experience.”
Extending on the well-received Sky Academy Studios based in Livingston and London, the telecoms company is dedicated to giving the next generation access to unique opportunities that allow them to gain valuable expertise – even if the current pandemic means it has to be delivered by fully online or ‘blended’ (mix of online and in-person teaching) means.
“We believe in a digital-first society, so it’s essential that schools find ways to promote digital literacy as a core part of the curriculum,” explained Sam Robins, head of digital media marketing in Northern Europe at Adobe. “The Edit not only provides an inspiring challenge and curriculum-ready resources that teachers can apply to classroom or remote learning, it also gives students the opportunity to work with the same tools and footage that the professionals use every day.”
In other news: Two-thirds of teachers believe lockdown has widened attainment gap for disadvantaged students