Young people gain skills in EOTAS centres to break into NI booming screen industry
The Education Authority has launched a new programme giving young people in specialist education settings the chance to explore Northern Ireland’s creative industry.
The Creative Arts and Digital Technologies (CADT) programme will reach 330 young people over three years, equipping them with in-demand skills in photography, filmmaking, game development and scriptwriting.
Delivered across Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS) centres, the programme builds on an award-winning pilot that saw all Key Stage 4 (KS4) EOTAS centres collectively win the prestigious Capita ICT Excellence Awards in 2022.
Eve Bremner, Chief Education Officer for the Education Authority said: “We’re immensely proud to offer the CADT programme in all our KS4 EOTAs centre. This programme is about unlocking young people’s potential and equipping them with professional skills that employers are actively looking for.
“We’re seeing young people discover new talents and gain qualifications which enable them to pursue further education or begin to build a career within Northern Ireland’s creative sector.
“We wish to acknowledge and thank the James Kane Foundation for their funding support, which has equipped all KS4 EOTAS centres with state-of-the-art digital creative hubs.
Michael Wilson, Chair of The James Kane Foundation added: “We are proud to support the Creative Arts and Digital Technologies programme and the opportunities it is creating for young people across Northern Ireland.
“It’s inspiring to see these digital hubs within the EOTAS settings already empowering students, helping them to discover new talents and build confidence – enabling them to take advantage of the growing career opportunities that exist within the creative industry sector in Northern Ireland.”
The programme is delivered in partnership with the James Kane Foundation, the Nerve Centre, NI Screen and external training providers including Adobe and Microsoft. The programme is currently operating in Ballymena, Castlereagh, Loughshore (North Belfast), Lough Road in Lurgan, Strabane, Redburn, Holywood, Groomsport, Loughan and Drumard EOTAS centres.