Animation Skillnet and Screen Skills Ireland, the skills development unit within Screen Ireland, are delighted to announce the Animation, VFX & Games Graduate Traineeship participants and host studios for the 2020 programme.
The traineeship, which has been running since 2016, has a great track record with over 90% of participants going on to gain further work in the industry, either with their host studio or with another studio. Targeted at developing skills and talent in the Irish animation, VFX, and games sectors, the programme will take place over a 3 month period. It will involve a mix of on-the-job learning and mentoring in host studios and remotely, as well as additional specialist training delivered through Screen Skills Ireland and Animation Skillnet.
The 7 participating studios and 14 trainees for the 2020 Graduate Traineeship Programme are:
- Algorithm: Anna Lawlor
- Cartoon Saloon: Chrissie Hughes, Mikai Geronimo, Jakub Bednarz and Giorgia McKenna
- Giant: Alicia Ruiz de Amoraga Gil and Neslihan Ates Koken
- Lighthouse Studios: Eoin McLoughlin, Polly Holland and Adam Powell
- Piranha Bar: Daniel McNicholl and Iobhar Stokes
- StoryToys – Touchpress: Amie O’Mahony
- Vela Games: Patrick Naughton
The traineeship kicked off on Monday 21st of September with a week of specialised online training, featuring talks from experts on the latest creative and technological advances in the area of VFX and animation, as well as soft skills such as emotional intelligence and time management.
Speaking about the traineeship, Sorcha Scully, Animation, VFX & Games Coordinator at Screen Skills Ireland, said, “We are very pleased to be launching the next iteration of this highly successful programme, especially in light of the many new challenges facing graduates and the sector in 2020. The Irish animation, VFX, and games sectors continue to be hugely important to Ireland’s digital and creative economy. The traineeship will be an integral link to bring new talent into the sector.”