NTI Birmingham, Birmingham City University’s media and games-focused training centre, has teamed up with agencies to attempt to bridge the digital skills gap with a raft of new courses.
It has launched Future Media, a set of postgraduate courses specialising in subjects including viral video, web analysitics, gamification and social media. The course will also focus on providing students with practical skills through placements with companies such as ad agency McCann Erickson and online marketing agency Found.
It will also run Masterclasses, tailored training days for companies to help bolster specific employees’ digital knowledge and skills.
David Allen, creative project manager at NTI Birmingham, said: “Within a lot of creative industries there’s grumbles about higher education so we’ve worked with partners like McCann Erikkson to help write the course. The courses are focused on placements and real work experience with practical skills.”
For years, digital industry experts have warned that students lack practical skills and aren’t prepared for the workforce. Another organisation that has been aiding the skills gap is Hyper Island, well known for running high-profile masterclasses for media organisations. Last year it teamed up with ad agencies, pure digital agencies, broadcasters and clients to launch an education programme in Manchester’s Northern Quarter in May.
