ScreenSkills Animation Trainee Finder - mentor

PLEASE NOTE: Mentor registration is temporarily unavailable to allow us to upgrade and improve the registration process.  The new registration process will open from 6th June and via the general ScreenSkills mentoring page  https://www.screenskills.com/developing-your-career/mentoring/

We are looking for early/mid-career animation professionals who are interested in volunteering to share their insight with a designated participant from the new Animation Trainee Finder cohort. 

Please click the “Apply now” button on the right which will confirm you are taking part in this mentoring programme.  You will need to create a ScreenSkills profile first if you have not already done so - and then return to this page to confirm your mentoring place.

Animation Trainee Finder is an entry-level placement scheme which places trainees on animation productions in skills shortage roles such as animator, storyboard artist, rigger and production coordinator. 

We are offering each trainee a mentor who can guide them in how to navigate the industry; help them to understand how the industry works, how to be a successful freelancer, how to communicate effectively with their line manager, and so on. The mentor does not necessarily have to be working in the same role as the mentee, but be someone that can introduce them to the industry more generally.

 

Do you want to…

·       cultivate and develop the future workforce?

·       share knowledge and give back?

·       develop your communication skills?

·       develop your leadership and management skills?

·       extend your network?

·       make time to reflect on and consider your own ongoing development?

 

Do you have…

·       at least two years’ experience working in the animation industry

·       knowledge of 2D, 3D or stop motion production processes

·       experience in working on TV series or animated features

·       an understanding of the opportunities and challenges that come with the roles of animator, storyboard artist, rigger and/or production coordinator

·       awareness of the production studios and wider industry in the UK

 

Mentoring is a 1-1 personal and professional development partnership in which a mentor shares their experience and knowledge with a mentee who wants to grow and progress.  It’s a two-way confidential partnership of development and learning, support, feedback and challenge. Interactions can take the form of remote meetings, over video call, phone call or email, or where possible could be face to face, dependent on COVID-19 restrictions at the time.

Once you are matched you will be offered training, guidance and support from our Mentoring Team to ensure you are able to give of your best, and get the best, from mentoring. There will be an introductory training session with the Mentoring Team on Tuesday 7 December at 3:30pm.

You will also be asked to sign a mentoring agreement and you will receive the code of conduct.

 

The Next Steps

If you are interested in being part of the Animation Mentoring programme as a mentor, we would like to encourage you to apply, and the next steps are as follows: 

·       pledge six hours over six months, divided as you like

·       meet your mentee remotely/in person at a mutually agreed time

·       receive support and guidance from the ScreenSkills mentoring team

·       understand what is involved by taking our ‘Mentoring for mentors’ online module

The mentee is expected to drive the partnership by organising meetings and preparing goals and questions. Mentoring is not about the mentor giving the mentee their next job or indeed unpaid work to do. It is about the mentee and their awareness of, development within, and confidence in the workplace.