ITV Studios expands production academy efforts

ITV Studios Daytime confirmed plans to expand its Daytime Academy. “The GMB Academy has been a huge success over the past four years, so much so that we wanted to offer the same opportunity to all new starters in ITV Daytime," ITV Studios Daytime Managing Director, Emma Gormley said. 

Nearly four years ago, Good Morning Britain launched the GMB Academy which focused on developing some of the newest members of the team in the early stages of their media careers. And, four years on, due to the success of the GMB Academy, ITV Studios Daytime - the producers who make ITV’s flagship live shows between 6am and 1:30pm every weekday, have now expanded the scheme to make it available for all new starters within ITV Daytime.“In production, one of the key things that emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic was the challenge of training team members - and in particular those beginning their journeys in the world of broadcasting," Gormely continued. "Colleagues have inevitably missed out whilst working from home."

Members of the Academy will comprise colleagues who are newer to ITV Daytime and broadcasting, and will give them the key tuition needed to become highly skilled producers and technicians. As well as script writing skills, legal training and guidance on duty of care, the Academy will show members how to embrace the very latest technology to aid their production and operational abilities, plus give them a good grounding in camera and editing techniques. "These colleagues, more than anyone, need opportunities to develop and grow, and at ITV Studios Daytime we are excited to equip our up and coming talent with the key skills for them to flourish and develop.”

In addition, each member will also be offered the guiding hand of a more senior colleague as a mentor to steer them through their developing career at ITV. “People are drawn to working at ITV Daytime because of its long-held reputation for journalistic, creative, topical, must-see content," Head of the Daytime Academy, Owen Masters said. "It’s incumbent upon us to give our team the excellent tools and skills that are the hallmark of the Daytime team. “The Academy is a fresh approach to development across the board at ITV Daytime and demonstrates a real investment in those that will be building their careers here.”

 ''As someone relatively new to the industry, attending the GMB Academy was a fantastic way to get a grounding in what it takes to make great television - or as GMB Editor Neil Thompson and session speakers put it, 'miss your bus moments," Charlotte Sexton, who began as a researcher, attended the GMB Academy and is now a reporter on GMB, said. “I would wholeheartedly recommend the ITV Daytime Academy to anyone in the early stage of their TV career - or anyone who wants to better understand the editorial processes, decision making and production that goes into making a show like Good Morning Britain."