A group of service leavers and veterans are setting their sights on a new career in the media industry, as they prepare to join the Forces Media Academy (FMA) in September…

They will be the second intake of students to embark on the Creative Media Production course at the Academy, which was established last year as part of the Services Sound & Vision Corporation (SSVC).

Director of the Forces Media Academy, Alistair Halliday, said: “The standard of applicants who undertook the comprehensive final selection was very high and their motivation and aptitude for creative media was impressive. Our future students come from a wide range of backgrounds and all three services, and we are confident that we will have another great year.

“The course equips the students with the practical experience and qualifications they will need to follow new careers in digital, TV and radio production. It’s a great opportunity for service leavers to build on the many skills they have gained while in the Services, opening up exciting career opportunities in an industry where veterans have traditionally been underrepresented.”

The FMA’s principal charity partner, The Royal British Legion, is supporting the initiative for a second year running by providing each student with an £18,000 bursary towards living costs. The course itself is free, thanks to funding from the Chancellor’s LIBOR Fund.

The Royal British Legion’s Head of Grants and Social Policy, Steve Baynes, said: “The training and opportunities provided to students of the Forces Media Academy are absolutely second to none. We’ve been impressed by the huge level of commitment, enthusiasm and progress the first year’s cohort has shown, and look forward to watching this new intake similarly flourish.

“The Legion is proud to have supported the Academy from the beginning and to be able to provide every student with a bursary, making the course as accessible as possible.”

The accredited first year degree course is run at SSVC’s headquarters in Buckinghamshire, home to the Forces Network and Forces TV. Alongside the lectures, students study in a live media environment, with award-winning media teams who understand the military.

Find out more about the Forces Media Academy here.