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Description
Main objective: develop human potential and expand the knowledge and practical skills of workers in the film animation and special effects industries in Poland by improving the quality and degree of alignment of vocational education with the current needs of the industries as a result of the development of a national strategy for the development of vocational education for the film animation and special effects industries for 2023-2030. The need for the project is related to the shortage on the labour market of workers with specific workshop skills (including drawing, character animation, copying drawings), which results from the mismatch between the education system and the needs of employers. Hence the need to develop a strategic document diagnosing the problems of the labour market, indicating the directions of changes and actions to be taken in the system of vocational education to strengthen the potential of workers in the animation sector in the context of their practical preparation to perform their profession.The project group will be formed by 8 people (including specialists in creating strategic documents and research, representatives of the industry, education sector).There were 2 methods adopted for the strategy development: Design thinking and Value Proposition Canvas.Achievement of objectives will be ensured by the adopted workflow and methods which assume, among others, broad participation of final recipients of the project, deep understanding of their problems/needs, looking at the problems from many perspectives, searching for new solutions, testing hypotheses-building prototypes and frequent collection of feedback from recipients, building an interdisciplinary team of specialists. The strategy will have an industry-wide impact, improving the labour market by increasing the match between workers'' skills and employers'' needs. It will promote new forms of training (e.g.artist residency)The strategy will set the direction for action over 8-year period
Summary of project results
The main objective of the project''s implementation was to expand the knowledge and practical skills of workers in the film animation and VFX industries in Poland, by improving the quality of alignment of vocational education with the current needs of the industry. The tool for the realization of the goal was the creation of a national strategy for the development of the animation and VFX industry, and bringing together the animation and special effects community (employees, employers, creators, producers, business owners), researchers and decision-makers (which was implemented, among other things, during the creation of the document, as well as during the dissemination events). The need for the project was related to the shortage on the labour market of workers with specific workshop skills, which results from the mismatch between the education system and the needs of employers.
As a result of the project numerous action was made such as: research, labor market diagnose and a creation of: "National strategy for the development of industry education for the film animation and special effects industries for 2023-2030", which indicates the directions of changes and actions that should be taken in the vocational education system. With the creation of the strategy, a qualitative study of these industries was conducted - the first in 7 years (which is an additional result of the project). As a result of the first implementation activities of the strategy (as well as the discussions the strategy provoked), The Polish Producers Alliance (KIPA) decided to launch a process of building an Industry Skills Center (BCU) for animation and VFX. As part of the first years of BCU''s operation, 215 students/scholars will be trained (at various levels), two industry vocational qualifications will be created, and 11 curricula will be developed
As further activities related to the strategy implementation, mention should be made of the SFR Studio efforts to establish an animation school. An animation technician profession has been introduced into the curriculum of vocational schools (taught in 3 schools). Thanks to the project, in the long term, the professional education system for animation in Poland will be upgraded, which will increase the competitiveness and human capital of the animation and special effects industry, while contributing to the strengthening of other creative industries in the country (illustrators, graphic designers, photographers, book publishers).
Summary of bilateral results
The collaboration with Troll Film proved to be crucial to the project. First of all, the company brought to the project group''s work the perspective of a country with a larger and deeper tradition of cultural and professional education. Troll Film independently conducts artist residencies at its studio educating artists from Europe in the field of animation. This experience was extremely important and broadened the scope of considerations when working on the strategy. Thanks to the contribution of Troll Film representatives, it was possible to propose for the Polish animation and film market some educational solutions known in Scandinavian countries (e.g a platform promoting filmmaking professions). Troll Film was responsible for liaison with international experts in the project, so the strategy could be consulted with prominent representatives of film educational institutions in Europe. This made it possible to avoid mistakes and refer to the latest pedagogical methodologies used in European organizations. In addition, thanks to the research process conducted in Poland (describing and structuring the mistakes of systemic education), Troll Film was able to locate those areas that need improvement in education for animation and special effects in Norway. In the future, the company will be able to implement some of the solutions proposed in the strategy document in the Norwegian market as well (or on its own). Currently, Troll Film is planning activities at the film production level together with the beneficiary and partners, and with Momakin is considering starting a European-scale project focusing mainly on stop motion animation issues