It has begun training two camera assistants and two sound assistants.

dock10 trainees Amy Ashley-Mather, Dylan Patel, Matthew Clarkson, Madeleine Jones, Conor McKeown, Dom Lawson and Studio Manager David Blake

Television facility dock10 has launched a craft talent training scheme, with the aim of tackling the skills gap in production.

The scheme has begun with dock10 training two camera assistants and two sound assistants, with all four earning as they learn on-the-job the sound and camera teams on the studio floor.

This follows on from a pilot initiative that trained up two entry level sound assistants - Conor McKeown and Dom Lawson - over 18 months. Both are now working regularly at dock10 and in the industry.

The four will work on multiple different shows, spanning the likes of BBC Bitesize, Match of the Day, and The Voice. The range and regularity of experience is something that can be difficult to find if freelance.

dock10 head of studios Andy Waters said: “This training scheme is a way of seeding the freelancers of the future.

“It’s a very hands-on scheme which gives the trainees the experience of working in a studio environment and getting involved on many shows.”

He added: “Our industry is going to have some problems in the future unless we train up the new generation. We’d love for other companies to get on board with this idea and hope it may become a model for others if it is appropriate for them to use.”

Camera assistants Amy Ashley-Mather and Dylan Patel and sound assistants Matthew Clarkson and Madeleine Jones were selected after a competitive and open recruitment process that drew hundreds of applications.

two camera assistants and two sound assistants.