Screen Training Ireland to Transfer from FÃS to Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board
STI Training & Resources will remain in place
FÁS and Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB) are pleased to announce the that Screen Training Ireland (STI), the training resource for the film, television and animation industries, is to transfer to Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board from February 2013.
The budget and personnel will transfer from FÁS to the IFB following an agreement between the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
The core function of Screen Training Ireland will remain in place and the unit will continue to deliver training courses and bursary awards to the audio-visual industry. The current staff in Screening Training Ireland will also remain in place, ensuring that the valuable experience and international industry contacts that the current team bring to STI will continue to benefit the industry.
Over the past 18 years Screen Training Ireland, with the support of the Bord Scannán na hÉireann/Irish Film Board, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and FÁS, has been instrumental in the development of people and skills for the Irish screen sectors. This investment has contributed to the competitiveness of the Irish industry in that period.
Speaking on the transfer for Screen Training Ireland, Paul O'Toole, Director General, FÁS said "The innovative training programmes developed and provided by Screen training Ireland over the past number of years have played a key role in the development of the audio visual industry in Ireland and FÁS is proud to have played its part in this. I am delighted that this key training and development resource for the screen sectors will continue under the auspices of Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board."
James Hickey, IFB Chief Executive said "The future growth of the Irish film television and animation industries is dependent upon a highly skilled workforce. We are part of a competitive global industry where technology is changing the audio visual workplace at an incredibly fast pace. It is vital for the industry to have an on-going training resource which is dedicated to assessing skills shortages in the industry and designing courses and opportunities for practitioners to fill those gaps."
"The IFB has worked in partnership with FAS and Screen Training Ireland since 1999 and given the imminent dissolution of FÁS, the IFB, as the state agency with the mandate for the development of the audio-visual industry, is the natural home for Screen Training Ireland. We look forward to consulting with the industry and delivering a range of new and exciting courses and training opportunities for practitioners in the foreseeable future."
Screen Training Ireland in co-operation with national and international industry partners delivers a wide range of training to the sector in enterprise and business development, creative and IP development, and technical skills to creative and technical personnel. Screen Training Ireland has supported the development of freelance practitioners, employees and companies through training across all areas of film, television, animation and digital media and will continue to do so.
The transfer of these functions follows the recent publication of the Further Education and Training Bill 2013 which will see the disbanding of FÁS and the establishment of SOLAS.
SOLAS will be responsible for coordinating and funding Further Education and Training programmes across the country.