FUTURE EDGE – COMPANY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

September 7th 2022

APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN FOR FUTURE EDGE 

COMPANY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME 

Animation Skillnet, Immersive Technologies Skillnet, Screen Skillnet and Screen Ireland are excited to announce FUTURE EDGE, a company development programme for the creative industries. 

The creative industries in Ireland are experiencing a wave of expansion and growth. In 2021, across film, documentary, animation and TV drama, the total production spend in Ireland was €500 million, the best year on record, and a 40% increase on 2019. The newer, Irish Immersive sector, is currently worth over €43 million and showing huge future potential. 

Sectoral stakeholders are keen for the growth to continue, but in a responsible, sustainable and inclusive way.

FUTURE EDGE offers the Irish creative industries the opportunity to aid business growth, attract FDI, evolve workforce design and talent retention, and ultimately improve the working culture of their organisation and the creative sectors in Ireland as a whole. 

Future Edge is a six month training programme split into 3 different strands that can be applied for separately. The three strands which incorporate workshops and mentorship will enable company/organisation leaders to advance their policies in relation to the three strands of: 

• Sustainability
  and/or
• Workplace Culture and Wellbeing
  and/or
• Digital Innovation / Transformation

Companies/organisations can apply to attend all three strands, but we would recommend that different representatives  are elected to attend each, should your company’s application be successful. 

PROGRAMME: 

• Each strand will be facilitated by a leading organisation in the areas of either Sustainability or Workplace Culture or Digital Innovation. 
• Each strand will incorporate 5 x day long workshops between October 2022 and March 2023. Approx one per month. Exact dates TBD. 
• 10 x companies/organisations will be selected for each strand. 
• It is recommended that two senior representatives attend each workshop for the duration of the programme. 
• Workshops will take place in person (with some hybrid elements), with the exception of the Sustainability strand which will take place online. 
• The location for each workshop will be determined once the final group of ten companies is selected, depending on their geographic spread. 
• One to One Mentoring will also be built into the curriculum and will take place throughout the 6 month period, either online or in person, depending on the needs of the companies. 
• While each strand has a core curriculum, this will be complemented by additional sector specific content devised in dialogue with the selected participants. 
• The output from each strand will be the development of a company policy, strategy or plan on either Sustainability or Workplace Culture or Digital Transformation/Innovation. 

COST: 

• €900 per company (covers two participants per company)

Sustainability  Strand

Course Overview: 

• Module 1:Setting the Stage: Climate and Sustainable Production
• Module 2: Purpose Development: Vision, Mission, Values and Strategic Goals
• Module 3: Building the Plan: Materiality, Stakeholders, Governance and KPI Tracking
• Module 4: Defining Strategies: Initiatives, Objectives, Actions and Implementation
• Module 5: Presenting Draft Plans and Next Steps

View the full core curriculum on the Animation Skillnet website HERE

For further questions on this strand email sean@animationskillnet.ie 

Trainer Profile:  

Green Spark Group (GSG) is a sustainability consulting firm that aims to shift culture in television and film/commercial production companies, studios, and industry related organisations to achieve positive impacts, cost savings, and recognition through the incorporation of sustainable practices. GSG brings together sustainability knowledge with Screen Sector expertise, with topic knowledge including: 

• Best practices from greening a set to developing a company-wide sustainability strategy; 
• Carbon accounting, including assessing and mitigating GHG emission from productions; 
• Social sustainability, including labour practices, equity, diversity and inclusion, and shaping sustainability narratives. 
• Cutting edge expertise on advancing sustainable productions through actions around materials, food and hydration, energy, fuel, and waste. 

GSG works to align sustainability strategy and training with organisational goals, collaborate with leadership, employees and key stakeholders, and provide a rich and supportive road-map for success. GSG have worked extensively with motion-picture industry stakeholders such as HBO, Apple, Netflix, Disney, Amazon, CBC, Ogilvy, Creative BC and Filmgroup since their foundation almost a decade ago.

Workplace Culture and Wellbeing Strand

Course Overview: 

• Module 1: Introduction to organisational culture and wellbeing: What are they and how do you understand them in your organisation?
• Module 2: The foundations for successful culture and wellbeing strategies
• Module 3: Key stakeholders: The role of leaders in culture and engaging your wellbeing stakeholders
• Module 4: Designing a programme/plan for change
• Module 5: Rolling out your programme/plan

View the full core curriculum on the Screen Skillnet website HERE

For further questions on this strand email barbara.deignan@screenskillnet.ie 

Trainer Profile:
Based on a strongly held belief that a business’s success is driven by its people, Scott McInnes founded INSPIRING CHANGE in 2017. Based in Dublin, the company works with clients in Ireland and further afield in Europe to help them connect with their people in a way that’s clear, inspiring and authentic to drive sustainable change and business performance.
Inspiring Change has a small but experienced team and, where necessary, brings in the skills and experience they need from a board of trusted associates.  A bit like the Thunderbirds, this allows Inspiring Change to create teams that perfectly match the needs of each project or client. Previous clients include Enterprise Ireland, PTSB, The Dept of Health and Bord Bia.
www.inspiringchange.ie

DONNA REILLY is an experienced coach, facilitator and wellness consultant with a passion for people’s mental health and wellbeing. Her goal is to support people to become the best version of themselves and build a positive, healthy and happy life. Clients include VHI, KPMG, ESB, The Irish Wheelchair Association and BelongTo.
www.donnareillywellness.ie 

Digital Innovation / Transformation Strand

Course Overview: 

• Module 1: Digitalisation & Digital Technologies Impact on the Business World
• Module 2: Digital Customer Experience
• Module 3: Methods and Skills for Successful Digital Transformation
• Module 4: Designing and Delivering Digital Transformation
• Module 5: Creating a Digital Transformation Plan
• 5 x 1 Hour, 1-2-1 Mentoring Sessions: Per Business

View the full core curriculum on the Immersive Technologies Skillnet website HERE

For further questions on this strand email manager@immersivetechnologiesskillnet.ie

Trainer Profile:
Beta Digital is a specialist digital transformation advisory firm, enabling businesses successfully adapt to compete in today’s digital world.  This programme will be delivered by founding partners Louise O’Conor and Paul Doyle. Both Louise and Paul are experienced business advisors with combined expertise in business strategy, digital innovation, transformation, growth, change management, marketing, sales, service, finance, operations, robotics introduction and data analytics. Louise and Paul’s programme  will be complemented by Jonathan Dempsey’s expertise in  immersive technology and EdTech.

Beta Digital has developed programmes in Digital Leadership & Transformation for; the Small Firms Association & Skillnet Ireland (Mentors Work Programme), Institute of Banking, Irish Management Institute, Irish Times Training, Enterprise Ireland & Local Enterprise. Pivotal EdTech co authored the Irish Immersive Economy Report in association with Eirmersive. 

PARTICIPANT PROFILE: 

This programme is designed for companies/organisations operating for 2/3 years. Two individuals at a senior level in the company/organisation are required to attend from each company/organisation for each strand. A company/organisation can apply for one or more strands.

The nature of the company’s business should include, but is not limited to: film, television, animation, games, immersive technologies, AR/VR, post-production, VFX, facilities, sales, distribution and exhibition. The programme is also open to applications from representative bodies, guilds and broadcasters etc.

APPLICATION PROCESS: 

Apply for the Sustainability Strand HERE

Apply for the Workplace Culture + Wellbeing Strand HERE

Apply for the Digital Innovation/ Transformation Strand HERE

Deadline to apply is 5pm on Wednesday September 21st.