Blog / ESG VMI takes on three new Apprentices 10th August 2021 — by Barry Bassett From left: Jonah Mann, Josh Barker, Matt Fisher.Dominique Unsworth recently posted on Linked-in, “I remember when everyone I spoke to said it couldn’t be done, it wouldn’t work, our industry (which was ironically built on apprenticeships) was too inflexible to ‘accommodate’ National Apprenticeship Service #Apprenticeships – this makes all the nagging, lobbying, meetings and consultations worth it. Good luck to every one of these #apprentices – this is what true inclusion, access and diversity looks like.”I absolutely agree with her.More than 200 young hopefuls who initially lodged their interest in the new Camera Tech Apprenticeship programme, reduced in number to 100 after the first sift, 56 at the second sift and just 42 were invited to the activity and selection day event hosted at the London Screen Academy (LSA) on Wednesday 21 July.13 trainees will become the first cohort of Camera Technician Apprentices, who will start a 2 week “boot camp” at the LSA on 24 August.This will begin a 2-year training programme designed by UK rental companies, which will train them to near Senior Technician standard without any cost to them and whilst being fully employed. Upon completion, they will achieve a formal industry qualification of a level 3 NVQ by August 2023.We are very much looking forward to our three new apprentices formally starting their first weeks at VMI on 3 September. These images are were taken at the activity selection day at LSA on 21 July 2021. During these sessions, groups of 5 or 6 attendees were asked to make a lego model to copy one that each had seen for just 60 seconds. Prospective employers observed their progress to see how well they collaborated and communicated together. Some conflict was introduced when part way through the exercise, the model was subtly changed without telling them!