Facility companies and industry training body Skillset are coming together in an attempt to address the current chronic shortage of suitably trained young people coming into the industry.

Facility companies and industry training body Skillset are coming together in an attempt to address the current chronic shortage of suitably trained young people coming into the industry.

At a debate at The Production Show, facility companies called on the government and higher education bodies to provide real vocational training for young people as opposed to ?theoretical' studies that, they argue, leave young people unprepared for the realities of modern day work.

They also called on the government to simplify the rules and regulations regarding so-called ?modern apprentices'- the government's new framework for NVQs - so that facilities could benefit from subsidies for external training.

?The theoretical approach of many modern courses leaves students with an impression that they are being equipped for the realities of a career in film or TV when many coming through lack even the most basic business and commercial skills,' said one facility owner.'

Skillset director of policy and development Kate O'Connor said it was imperative that all sides came together to redress the facility skills gap.

?Facilities are joining forces with Skillset in an attempt to address the current crisis in training and to change the way training is funded so they can access government subsidies at a time when businesses are under increasing economic pressure.'

Verity Butler of the Skills Council - the body which supervises government skills funding - said it was imperative employers called on government to simplify existing training regulations whereby companies providing external training to 18 year-olds can access subsidies of around£6,000 while those contemplating the same course for a 21-year-old only receive around£2000.

Skillset also called for employees to take training more seriously and inform higher education bodies what skills they were looking for and what universities needed to provide so they could turn out more immediately employable young people.