INTRODUCTION

Given the recent and rapid growth of on-air branding and promotion within the television industry most training remains "on the job". In addition, the comparatively small number of people employed in this field and the specialized nature of the skills (e.g. the art and science of creating the perfect break architecture) mean that permanent academic or vocational training courses are unlikely to be feasible in the foreseeable future. 

IN-HOUSE TRAINING

As in many industries, internships are both a valuable way to learn and "to get your foot in the door". Keep your eyes open for internships posted on the Media Studies Roundup Blog on Tumblr for example: http://www.mediastudiesma.tumblr.com (Password: mediastudies). Internships are sometimes listed at some of the larger media networks based in New York City such as ABC, CBS, NBC and MTV. An internship can also count as credit towards your degree with prior approval from the faculty.

As an intern or when starting a new job in an entry level position, it's wise to identify a mentor who can pass on their experience and guide your career. Most larger companies also have in-house programs or budgets to cover general training of common office software such as Word, Excel and Powerpoint etc and business practices such as time management or team building. Take advantage of these resources when possible while ensuring you don't become known as a "training tourist" - someone who attends any course offered no matter how tenuously connected with their job simply as a means of avoiding the daily grind.

VENDOR TRAINING

Most suppliers of software and hardware to the broadcast industry run their own training courses sometimes for free to encourage employees to buy and use their products. A training package may form part of a larger supplier agreement, for example as part of a deal for proprietary scheduling software used by a channel. The types of courses available depend on which field within the industry in which you work:

• Designers might attend courses run by software manufacturers such as Adobe (eg Illustrator, Photoshop and After Effects) or hardware manufacturers such as Quantel

• Promo producers may attend courses offered by Apple for Final Cut Pro or by Avid for their Media Composer

AD HOC TRAINING

Sometimes networks bring in a leading branding/promo production company to lead a training session, typically lasting a half or full day or even over two days. Lee Hunt for example will run sessions "to refresh strategic thinking, examine the latest tactics from television's most successful networks, get inspired by great work, and hone creative and production skills". Typically such sessions are not cheap. Suggesting your boss invite engaging and informative presenters seen at the PromaxBDA to speak to your company (for a fee) is one way of sourcing effective trainers.

 The ubiquitous Lee Hunt

ON-LINE

Although there are no formal online training courses there are several resources available on the web. For example, you can download Lee Hunt's New Best Practices session from the 2010 PromaxBDA conference from his website for free. www.leehunt.com. The PromaxBDA website also has a large collection of on-line resources available for members www.promaxbda.org.

PromaxBDA

PromaxBDA runs a number of training courses and workshops throughout the year. See Case Study 1 Section 6 Education for details.