"Learn from the pros!" - The media and event industry needs good young talent. Attractive apprenticeships are an important measure to attract qualified personnel for these industries in the future. Therefore, the foundation of the private vocational MiB Academy (International Media and Business Academy) on the premises of MMC Studios in Cologne-Ossendorf was announced on May 09, 2018.
Under the guiding principle "Learn from the professionals!", the goal of the educational institution is to train young people within a three-year apprenticeship in the areas of:
- Media designer image and sound
- Event manager
- Management assistant for marketing communication with a focus on online and influencer marketing
- Audiovisual media clerk (from.01.05.2019)
not only to introduce and train them to the respective profession. Rather, the training course is aimed at holistic development of the participant within the three years of training. In addition to in-depth theoretical and practical vocational training, the trainee also receives instruction in personality development and social interaction, such as an etiquette or dance course.
What is also special about this training is the location - MMC Studios
With its excellent studio infrastructure, state-of-the-art production technology, highly efficient post-production, excellent stage construction and experienced staff, MMC Studios Köln GmbH is the leading full-service provider for entertainment shows and series in Germany. MMC Studios as well as the producing production companies make this know-how available to the training of young professionals. This not only gives students the opportunity to train on real sets but also to experience the media and event industry up close, to learn from it and to make contacts already during their training.
What's special for the media city of Cologne
Alongside Studio Babelsberg and the Bavaria Film Studios in Munich, MMC Studios is now the third studio service provider that actively promotes qualified young talent and gives it a separate position on the premises. There is no comparable institution in the Rhineland that provides a qualitative platform for the training of young talent on this scale and at the latest technological level. In addition, this consistent step is also a conscious signal that MMC Studios would like to send nationwide in the sense of Cologne as a media city.
The special for the students
The MiB Academy is designed to provide participants with both vocational training and personal development support. After graduating from school, many young people know the direction they want to take, but the specific path is often not clear.
The MiB Academy also enables participants to develop further in terms of their professional specialization within the training period.
In the first 12 months students learn through Theory lessons and practical work on the MMC studio premises the basic skills of their occupational profile. During this time, students can get a clearer picture of which professional specialization they might consider later. After the 12 months, the students then go into a 18-month internshipwhich they can use to deepen their interests and specialize in a subarea of their job description. Especially in the professions of the media landscape and the event industry, there are a multitude of possible applications.
Following the 18-month practicum period, participants will return to campus to prepare for the final examination before the respective chamber or economically recognized examination board in the last 6 months.
Within this training there are two further advantages for the participants, which are actively promoted by the MiB Academy.
Students can participate in the extensive Continuing education programs which the MiB Academy organizes in parallel with the training courses and, during the 18-month practical phase, they have the opportunity to learn through a 3 to 6-month internship abroad an international certificate to be obtained.
The special feature for the cooperating companies
As educational partners for the 18-month practical phase, the companies enable the students to apply the specialist knowledge they have acquired over 12 months in practice. In this way, the students gain further practical experience and the cooperating companies receive timely, competent support in dealing with the day-to-day tasks.
More information:
The next Info day of the MiB Academy takes place on 17.05. at 16.30 will take place on the premises of MMC Studios.
You can also find more information about the trainings on: www.mib-akademie.de
Short interview Philip Borbély, Managing Director of MMC Studios and Matthias Lang, Campus Director of the MiB Academy
In order to explain the advantages of this joint project between MMC Studios and the MiB Academy in more detail, we asked the Managing Director of MMC Studios, Mr. Philip Borbély, and the Campus Director of the MiB Academy, Matthias Lang, for a short interview:
Editor: Mr. Borbély, Mr. Lang, today you are officially introducing the MiB Academy on the MMC Studios site. How has the development gone so far?
Philip Borbély: The development to date and feedback on the establishment of the academy show that we were right in our decision to embark on this venture. Both for the young people to whom we are making the training opportunities at MMC Studios accessible and for the companies here at the site, we have laid the foundation for a great collaboration.
For some time now, we've had the intention of making greater use of the large number of media companies on our studio lot to jointly train the next generation. Especially through our close exchange with our business partners, we are aware that we would all be happy if there were enough skilled workers in every industry. But that's not so easy these days.
Matthias Lang: With our holistic training concept, we address every participant within this important career entry. The young people receive an education that actively accompanies them and whose advantages are bundled in the combination of private education and economic connection. The companies receive qualified new blood, since we regard the training holistically vocationally and privately. Parents see this form of training as an opportunity to provide their children with a good education that, despite individual development, includes a modicum of coordination from "outside". This is a good start to growing up.Editor: Mr. Borbély, what opportunities do you see through this cooperation with regard to the training of young people?
Philipp Borbély: In addition to extensive technical know-how, MMC Studios also has a national and international network, which is actually the basis of our daily work. However, this network also shows us what the general needs are in the industries and how they will develop in the future.
Nowadays, every industry is affected by speed, and we have to teach that to our employees of tomorrow. In 1967, color television was introduced in Germany. Today, we are talking about 4K in the media industry. Technology is developing at an increasingly rapid pace, and we have to train our junior staff accordingly, close to the real thing. As the saying goes, "The technology we have in our mobile devices today was used to fly to the moon back then."
Matthias Lang: MMC Studios and its business partners represent great added value for the trainees. Not only the search for practical experience, but also the question of international work experience can be answered quickly thanks to the short distances within the MMC Studios family. Raising this potential for the promotion of young talent is a great benefit for everyone involved and a great signal for the location policy of Cologne as a media city.
Editor: Mr. Lang, training at the MiB Academy is possible for anyone who meets the admission criteria. Nevertheless, in the end the question remains how this private training can be financially supported by the participant.
Matthias Lang: I agree with you. The fact that an apprenticeship costs money and you don't receive a salary, as you know from the dual form of training, is strange at first glance. But in view of the fact that this is about your professional future and that you should put quality and career opportunities first in this case, it is a worthwhile investment in the future. I can also assure you that our educational consultants, with the help of government funding programs and well-considered financial planning, have so far been able to make training at the MiB Academy possible for everyone.
Editor: Thank you for the interview and I wish you every success for the further development.
Photo: Philip Borbély, Managing Director of MMC Studios, and Matthias Lang, Campus Director of MiB Academy. Photo credit: MiB Academy
