Pubs have traditionally offered young people opportunities for starting out in the workplace. During our Inn Sites project we were keen to do the same.
“We are of value to the community in the fact that we provide employment to young people, particularly when they are starting out. I have a young girl who works for me whose mother used to work for me! … when we have boys and girls who are looking for jobs to start with when they haven’t got any real skills, it gets them used to working and also used to meeting people … I make them put their phones away!!”
Peter Williams (the longest serving landlord in Shropshire) talking at the Halfway House in Bridgnorth 2021
Today approximately 4.3 million people in the UK lack the basic digital skills required for work, study or everyday life in general. We know that digital skills literacy is skills gap in Shropshire.
After collaborating with the Council’s Upskill Shropshire team, we developed a digital skills offer aimed at young people. Working with documentary filmmaker Paul Stringer we ran a session at the Punchbowl Inn (one of our project pubs) where participants were introduced to the basics of how to plan and develop a social media film using their mobile phones. This was followed by a packed afternoon of practical filming activities. A week later we hosted a follow up session looking at editing tricks of the trade.
Our team of future filmmakers got stuck in and crafted a series of professional looking films.
“It opened my eyes to a world that I hadn’t really considered before and made me see how a film can invoke a response in the audience”
Filmmaker comment
Watch the full films created by each of our digital skills trainees on our YouTube channel
With thanks to: Filmmaker Paul Stringer for his enthusiasm and energy, Historic England for funding the project, The Punchbowl and its staff for being so patient, Caroline John for being a willing interviewee – and all the young people who joined in!