Joint Development of Qualification Standards for Film Occupations (FILM-SKILLS) is a project that brings together Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian partners – three film schools and two film industry organisations - with the aim of developing occupational qualifications’ standards for film occupations as a recognition interface between the labour market, higher education institutions, and other forms of training. The export of film production services is on the rise, and so is the need for specialists of technical and coordinating positions. However, communication from the film industry has indicated that it may be difficult to fill certain crew positions with competent people. Film producers have expressed that occupational standards would help to understand skills gaps, competencies, and job descriptions of film workers and overcome existing disparities.

FILM-SKILLS aims to align the needs of the film industry with the applied and academic approaches of higher film education. The skills acquired in higher learning should match the expectations of the labor market, and conversely, film sector participants should have access to additional training and skills’ validation.

Objectives: The qualifications system would allow film students and -workers to enhance their labour market compliance as they acquire new competencies and can prove their skills. Also, certification of skills would facilitate film workers’ transnational exchange if the certification is mutually recognized. The occupational qualifications system will be inclusive and open, taking to account previous work experience and training when assessing a persons’ qualification.

FILM-SKILLS creates preconditions to offering courses and training to film sector participants, enrolled and non-enrolled, that lead to occupational certification. This is especially important in the fast-transforming film sector, the participants of which have to continuously familiarize themselves with new technologies and production norms. The project will help to organize the national film industries and create conditions for lifelong learning in the field. The project has the potential to enhance the partner countries’ image as strong „film countries“.

What activities are you going to implement? The occupational qualifications system will be based on the model used by the Estonian Qualifications Authority (EQA) and ESCO (European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations) classification. The project partners adapt the existing guidelines to create a qualification standards’ system for the film sector in the Baltic region with the potential of extending the network internationally.

Results

Occupational standards for 18 film positions will be developed in cooperation of educators and acting film industry professionals. As such, skills’ mismatches and gaps will be assessed, with the possibility to regulate the gaps by creating the occupational standards that will be used and mutually recognized by the educators, film producers, and film workers alike. During the project, the principles of offering preparatory courses to the qualification certification will be developed, as well as examination guidelines. Course descriptions will be prepared and introductory materials compiled for the selected occupations. A website will be launched that displays the project results in an attractive manner, targeting film professionals and the general public. Project results – guidelines to creating qualification standards and the 18 developed occupational standard – will be openly available to be used by any organisation or person.

General information

Programme: 2021-KA220-HED-03

Project number: 2021-1-EE01-KA220-HED-000027627

Implementation:  December 2021 – November 2023

Project coordinator in the Academy: Vita Dumpe, vita.dumpe@lka.edu.lv

Partner organisations

Tallinn University, Lietuvos Muzikos ir Theatro akademija, Estonian Filmmakers Association, Lithuanian Shorts, Latvijas Kultūras akadēmija