The Hunger Games: young hopefuls flocking to the new Global Academy

I recently attended an open day for The Global Academy at Global Radio’s offices in Leicester Square. Opening in September 2016, this new Academy will prepare young people aged 14-18 for a career in broadcast and digital media, covering creative, technical and business skills.

The reason the open day was not at the school itself, which is in Hayes, West London, is because it’s still being built, but the artist’s impression is pretty impressive. Global and the team running the school will take control of the building in early summer and fit it out with top of the range equipment including radio studios and edit suites.

Eventually, 800 young people will study at the Academy, 200 in each year from Year 10 to Year 13 – Global are determined that the school will have a more mature feel because the youngest students will be 14 rather than 11. This September, however, just 100 Year 10s and 100 Year 12s will be admitted – so places are highly contended. 50% will be taken from within a five mile radius of the school, and the remaining places from anywhere in the UK.

The Academy is a personal passion of Ashley Tabor, Founder and Executive President of Global. He feels that many young people are coming out of college and university with the theoretical knowledge but none of the hands on, practical insight needed to hit the ground running. The Global Academy will give experience from radio and TV production right through to app and web development, event management and broadcast journalism.

Endorsement for the Academy has been made by a range of big media names, including Simon Cowell – you can check out their videos at globalacademy.com. The campaign hangs on established media figures wishing The Global Academy had existed when they were 14 – and I completely agree. What a great opportunity this presents for so many young people who, like I and so many others, know from an early age that they want to work in radio – even if they don’t quite know in which area.

It was inspiring to see teenagers so keen and hungry to know more. In one of the break-out sessions with a member of the Global Commercial team, prospective students were asked how they might go about responding to a hypothetical Subway brief for the launch of four new sandwiches. The smart thinking and creativity shown by the kids (to launch it using The Vamps – one sandwich per band member…inspired!) put me to shame – so this definitely isn’t a school just for people who want to drive a radio desk or programme music. Four years at The Global Academy will make 200 students every year ready to jump in feet-first and start their careers in media. If they could not get too great at marketing and show me up again though, that would be great.

This year, the closing date for both Year 10 and Year 12 students is the end of March. Apply at globalacademy.com