Kulture Break to offer training qualifications for creative-minded young people

Thanks to recent ACT Government funding through Skilled Capital, cultural and social organisation Kulture Break will soon begin rolling out training qualifications in Leadership and Management, and Screen and Media.

The courses will be run through the group’s Elevate Academy in partnership with The Australian Academy of Media to address the employment gap for ‘creative-minded’ people.

On offer will be a Certificate III in Screen and Media and Certificate IV or Diploma in Leadership and Management.

Kulture Break is renowned for its message, ‘you don’t become somebody, you are somebody’, and Kulture Break CEO and co-founder Francis Owusu said he wanted “to broaden the pathway to creative employment for young people”.

“There is a gap for young people who love dance, music, film and multimedia. Take dance, for example. Young people who love to dance can become a dancer or a dance teacher. But are often faced with the response to ‘get a real job’,” he said.

For Canberra College year 11 student Ethan Hart, who is passionate about all things film-making and dance, the Screen and Media course is a great opportunity.

“I love making and editing dance clips, and alongside taking media at school, this course will teach me even more,” he explained.

For Ethan, school has been a huge help in following his passion as he has had a wide choice of subjects available.

But for Mr Owusu and the rest of the Kulture Break team, this take on employment pathways is just the beginning.

Instead, they asked themselves, what kind of skills do creative-minded people have that can be nurtured and transferred across industries?

As an example, Mr Owusu cites collaboration.

Dancers are always learning how to work with others when choreographing or practising routines, as do musicians or filmmakers or artists. He suggested that collaboration was an essential skill for event management or running shows.

“After all, this is an industry crying out for staff,” he said.

He said that in Canberra, after last year’s shutdown, people are keener than ever to experience events and live music, and that the technical elements of media or film-making can be easily used when it comes to putting on events.

“When we look at the market, it’s been predicted that by the year 2030, 63 per cent of all jobs will be soft-skilled. By that, we mean things like communication, collaborating, critical thinking and problem-solving. These soft skills can be transferred from one job to another without too much hassle,” Mr Owusu explained.

All of the courses are designed to provide young people with a portfolio of transferable skills to elevate their job readiness for future employment opportunities. It’s also about connecting young people with particular industries where employment opportunities exist.

Due to the funded component, the Leadership and Management, and Screen and Media courses will only cost between $100 and $140 each – a saving of $3500 per student.

Numbers for the program are capped, so potential participants must enrol by 26 May to secure their space. Applicants must be over 18 or, if in school, 15 and over and be enrolled in an alternative learning program at their college or high school.

Applicants will have up to 12 weeks to begin the course after enrolling and there are flexible learning options available, including face to face, online and blended learning.

To learn more or to enrol, see The Australian Academy of Media.