RTL Group | Potsdam, 02/10/2022

UFA Launches New Training Program: UFA Academy

In view of the shortage of skilled workers, UFA is launching an entry-level program aimed specifically at career changers with various types of previous experience. Janna Bardewyck, Senior HR Manager, Human Resources Development at UFA Serial Drama, explains the rationale behind the new UFA Academy  in an interview.

For several years now, the shortage of skilled workers has become more noticeable in the film and TV industry as elsewhere. To counteract this development more actively, UFA is launching the UFA Academy, an entry-level program aimed specifically at career changers with various types of previous experience. Applications are open to people between the ages of 25 and 60 who are looking for a new career or a change of direction. Experience in the media industry is not a prerequisite. The UFA Academy’s two-year professional development program starts in May for the areas of recording management, assistant directing, script/continuity, and film business management. The entry-level program will be recognized with a UFA certificate. “The shortage of skilled workers is now a much-discussed and widespread topic, and not just in our industry,” says Joachim Kosack, Managing Director of UFA GmbH and UFA Serial Drama. “Since good training has always been a top priority at UFA and its quantity and breadth is constantly being improved, we’d like to take it one step further now. The UFA Academy will empower dedicated career changers to get started in our exciting industry. Because with us, anything is possible!” Janna Bardewyck, Senior HR Manager, Human Resources Development at UFA Serial Drama, explains the rationale behind the new UFA Academy in an interview.

Ms. Bardewyck, what is the reasoning behind the launch of the UFA Academy? Why are UFA’s existing recruiting programs no longer sufficient? And what are the most important differences?

The shortage of skilled workers has long since reached the media, so it’s not a UFA issue, but an industry issue. We’ve had many training programs in place for decades, and these will continue to run in parallel in our units. But instead of focusing exclusively on the younger generations, on those just starting out in their careers, we now want to broaden our focus. Many people outside the industry still think that the only way to get a toehold in the media world is through ‘connections,’ but that hasn’t been the case for a long time now. Also, many jobs that are possible at production companies simply aren’t known to people from outside the industry. So the main difference to existing UFA training programs is the target group. Another difference is the cross-unit deployment and centralized support for trainees. Until now, our long-established trainee programs and internships have primarily taken place in one unit, such as UFA Serial Drama, and within a single production, such as “GZSZ.” UFA Academy trainees will get to know different genres, productions, and various units within UFA, since we combine a broad product portfolio under one roof.

Who is the UFA Academy aimed at?

Anyone who feels like changing their career or direction, or who has always wanted to do ‘something in media’ now has the chance to train or retrain with us without any previous media experience. There are many industries that require knowledge and skills that are equally relevant to ours. For this reason, we have defined target groups for the offered training programs, which we will consider in their individual marketing.

What program does the UFA Academy offer?

The UFA Academy will start with four departments/programs: Recording Management, Film Management, Assistant Director and Script/Continuity. The first two should be seen as specialist areas in which there are different positions. An internal UFA evaluation showed that these four fields have had the most difficulty in filling positions in the past two years. Hence this selection.

Do similar programs already exist in Germany? Or is the UFA Academy unique in its form?

No doubt there are a variety of on-the-job training programs. And there are also classic retraining programs, although these exist only for classic apprenticeship occupations. There are also high-quality programs that provide training for management positions. I don’t personally know of any program that is comparable to the UFA Academy that offers such a wide range of content.

How many of the graduates do you hope to be able to take on afterwards? And for which jobs or in which areas?

The program is designed to counteract the lack of skilled workers in the market. Besides, we are investing two years in the participants. For these reasons alone, we have a very strong interest in taking them on afterwards. Since we have different positions in terms of content in the areas of production management and film management, it will be determined at the end of the training period for which position graduates might be taken on.