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Media Education, Training & Skills project (METS) Pilot 2017-18 Report

Media Education Training & Skills (METS) is a dynamic new programme of training that targets young people, vulnerable adults and people with special educational needs (SEN). It holds that communications and media training open life opportunities for beneficiaries, so they can thrive to fulfil their potential and aspirations.

In May 2017 The Somer Valley Education Trust CIO was registered with the Charity Commission (1172980). It is an educational CIO aiming to improve local employability, training and skills outcomes. In September 2017 it successfully applied to St John’s Foundation to fund a pilot year of the METS training programme. This was devised by Dom Chambers, an advocate of the social benefits of media training and has 10 years’ experience of Third Sector management, volunteer coordination and training. The CIO works closely with Somer Valley FM which is an Ofcom licensed community radio station established in 2008 to serve the Midsomer Norton and Radstock region of north east Somerset. It has fully equipped studios and training facilities in Midsomer Norton. SVFM has been training children, young people and adults in media skills since its inception. The CIO was established to significantly build on this training by drawing in funding that has enabled a professional skills and training infrastructure to be created around the sort of training the radio station has been delivering for years. METS is an outcome of this partnership. Following St John’s offer of a £25K grant to fund a pilot the CIO commissioned Somer Valley FM to deliver the METS pilot training programme.

This report monitors the outcomes and tells the stories of what happened in the pilot project

Report by Dom Chambers 18 August 2018 1

Media Education, Training & Skills project (METS) Pilot 2017-18 Report The Key features of METS are:

A 1 year media skills training programme with targets and out-comes.

The programme identifies 6 target groups:1. School students aged 11 to 16.2. Young people who are, or are in danger of becoming, NEET

(Not in Education, Employment, or Training)3. Young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)4. Adults in recovery from addiction5. Adults with learning disabilities6. Training the trainer. Training professional support workers in

radio skills maximises inclusion as people who need profes-sional support can benefit from METS which otherwise might not have the resource to help with SEN.

Somer Valley FM uses the Index of Multiple Deprivation to identify areas to target for people to benefit from METS. Over 50% of recruited trainees come from areas in the first 3 categories of de-pravation for education, skills & training.

METS offers individualised studio-based training to help beneficiaries develop: o Media specific skills: Research; scripting; vocal communication; presentation; interviewing; editingo General employability skills: teamwork; decision making; working to deadlines; task management; literacy & numeracy; oral

presentations; IT skills; workplace routineso Personal skills and attributes: self-esteem; confidence; interpersonal skills; flexibility; critical thinking; conscientiousness; reli-

ability All beneficiaries have an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) with milestones and outcomes that ensure the aspirations of the trainee are

achieved. Training is customised to the needs of each target group. This accounts for a wide spectrum of needs so that, for instance, we would not

have after school’s training at the same time as adults in recovery from addiction.


Media Education, Training & Skills project (METS) Pilot 2017-18 Report METS delivers appropriate accreditation and practical support in the transition to apprenticeship or employment. METS works with local charities to identify beneficiaries who are most likely to benefit from communications and media training. These

include with DHI (Developing Health & Independence); Project 28, Dimensions; SWALLOW; Off the Record, Creativity Works; Far-leigh College; Remploy; B&NES Youth Connect.

Peer support is a crucial characteristic so that people coming into the programme can benefit from the skills and experience of those who have been there a bit longer.

Without METS Somer Valley FM could not deliver Traineeships as Bath College withdrew the funding to support the programme. METS has delivered 5 traineeships since September 2017 with everyone progressing into apprenticeship, employment or full time further education.

Case Study: Reece (17 years)

Target Group: Young people aged 16-23 who are NEET or in danger of becoming NEET.

Opportunity: Traineeship (8 months)

Exit interview: 2nd August 2018

Outcome: Level 3 apprenticeship with the Pensions dept. at B&NES

Reece said:

I have developed my confidence greatly. When I started the traineeship, I was not a confident person, but the placement has definitely improved this massively. My organisation skills have improved as I now have experience of working to deadlines. My work ethic has developed; I very rarely missed a day and would give 100% towards all tasks. I can now go straight into 9 to 5 working without feeling out of my depth because of the time spent at Somer Valley FM. I also felt like I was pushed to reach my full potential which helped when finding an apprenticeship as I tried to find one to match my skills.

Significant achievement: Reece achieved 1 of 4 apprenticeships on offer out of 29 applicants.



……So what actually happens? Learning new skills while having fun and contributing to the fabric of community life. It’s wins all round.

Here’s some examples:

Young people on traineeships typically attend for 3 days a week over 6 months. They learn to research, script, voice and produce local news and What’s On bulletins. Teamwork, task management and working to deadlines are key. They are contributing to the station’s output at a very early stage of their training.

The After Schools training is offered weekly to secondary school age. Students are introduced to radio production and build technical, editorial, verbal and team working skills. These are typically in years 8 & 9. As well as contributing to good citizenship the benefit from learning away from the academic route.

Because of building successful relationships with referral organisations such as Fosse-Way school METS has been noticeably successful in helping people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder in building their communication skills both within office teamwork and a broadcast context.

Imperative in the decision to commission Somer Valley FM with the METS project was that beneficiaries can hear their work, and their voice, on a licensed radio station. That quality assurance impacts on their personal development but METS also credibly contributes to the work of local radio and helps Somer Valley FM fulfil its Key Commitments to the regulator Ofcom under their license obligations.

METS is skills-based learning in a happy, safe and non-prejudicial environment



Case Study: Tom (21 years)

Target Group: Young people aged 16-23 who are NEET or in danger of becoming NEET.

Opportunity: Job coaching (Tom is a longstanding volunteer at SVFM who was job seeking. METS made the difference to his employability.

Outcome: 16 hour contract with options for overtime with a supermarket

Tom said: “Having Dom sit down with me and go through my CV and help me improve this was really useful. It helped me understand what was missing and what I needed to make people look on the CV and read it. It also gave me a good understanding that most relevant information had to come first… Dom advised me to write a progress checker; write down what jobs I had applied for and what jobs I had heard back from… by doing this resulted in more job interviews for different roles I was applying for at the time and easier to keep track of ones I hadn’t heard back from. Within a few weeks I had got a job I really like.”


Media Education, Training & Skills project (METS) Pilot 2017-18 Report Table of target groups, training offers and outcomes for the METS pilot programme

Target group Referrals from Training offer Accreditation Uptake target for the year

Actual up-take

Accreditation target

Progression outcome

1. Students aged 11-16 Young people interested in learning radio skills; some may be vulnerable to exclu-sion or truancy.

Schools:SomervaleNorton HillFosse-Way

a) After Schools course in Radio Production lasting 9 weeks and/or

b) Radio production work on school radio or Somer Valley FM lasting 2 months.

ABC Skill Me Up (Moderated by B&NES Youth Connect)

12 15 12 15 achieving course completion + accreditation.12 want to continue to develop media skills.

2. Young people aged 16-23 who are NEET or in danger of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training).

Bath College, Job Centre, In-ner Flame, Bath

a) Traineeship (6 months: 3 days Work Experience plus 1 day at college working on English and maths) or

b) Bespoke Somer Valley FM training programme

Employability Certificate (Bath College)

English & Maths qualification at GCSE grade 4 or above (or equivalent e.g. Functional Skills Level 2)

8 8 4 8 progresses to further education, apprenticeship or employment

3. Young people aged 16-23 with ASD

Farleigh College Job Centre, Fosse-Way

Customised training based on an individual learning plan

Ascentis accredited qualific-ation e.g. Public Media Course Levels 1 & 2

3 8 3(2 achieved)

8 progress to further education or employ-ment

4. Adults recovering from addiction

DHI, Project 28 Customised training based on an individual learning plan and work experience

Help with reintegration & em-ployment

3 2 N/A Some positive impact but need to revisit to measure success in this group

5.Adults with learning disabilities.

SWALLOW Customised training based on a groupl learning plan

N/A 3 3 N/A 3 Delivering a 1 hour weekly show

This Strand of METS is outside of the St Johns grant so outcomes not included in the report summary6. Training the trainerTraining workers who support people with special needs (SEN)

Farleigh Col-lege, SWAL-LOW, Fosse-way

Radio skills for SEN profes-sional supporters.

Contributes to CPD Continual Personal Development

2 3 3 3 SEN professionals continue to support be-neficiaries of METS


Media Education, Training & Skills project (METS) Pilot 2017-18 Report Case Study: Ciaran (Year 9 school student, 13 years)Target Group: School students aged 11-16Opportunity: Ciaran passed through the After Schools Training and then benefited from individual training and support to build radio skills.Outcome: Self produces a weekly local sports report for SVFM and does match announcements for Paulton Rovers.

Ciaran said “Somer Valley FM is helping me to improve my confidence and technological skills with new pieces of equipment. I would highly recommend this to people. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and I have improved in my confidence and speaking so I would jump at the opportunity again.”

Dom Chambers comment: Ciaran has shown a great deal of commitment. At the start he seemed often out of sorts and not always focused on the task. Since he showed an interest in local sports we have steered his training and support towards this. This has proved the trigger for a whole new level of productivity. This positive progression is a great illustration of how skills-based learning, along with their own drive can strongly impact on a young person’s educational development. Wonderful to see this.

Testimonials and Impact:“I work with Somerset Lieutenancy and as a Trustee of Somerset Community Foundation we are trying to combat the problems caused by loneliness and isolation which are very prevalent in our rural and urban communities. A scheme such as METS lifts young people out of situations where loneliness and isolation might create mental health risks. It gives people a voice and creates a framework where communication is at the centre of their lives. It teaches crucial work place skills without stress. I would like to see this scheme run out throughout Somerset and taken up by every community and commercial radio station partnering with local schools. It is a great example of Corporate Social Responsibility and is an opportunity for real social mobility. I think this is one of the coolest and most valuable schemes I have seen and I am proud that it originates in Somerset.”Lucy Nelson, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, who founded the charity Tommy’s.


Media Education, Training & Skills project (METS) Pilot 2017-18 Report Reflecting on the strong impact on community life Bath & NE Somerset Council leader Tim Warren said, “For the relatively modest levels of socially invested funding the area gets an incredibly high return of service provision from Somer Valley FM.”

Case Study: Adam (25 years)Target Group: Young people aged 16-23 with ASD / NEETOpportunity: A long term work experience supported by METS Outcome: Previously Adam had no experience of a professional work place and little sense of ownership of his own employability. The placement has encouraged his flair for graphic design and provided an opportunity to build a portfolio of work that considerably enhances his chances of landing paid employment. They are very useful as illustrative tools to help the work of both the radio station and the educational trust. Some examples:

His supporter, Nick Jones, writes, “I can testify to the unique training work at SVFM. It is hard to find organisations who are prepared to provide bespoke and tailored programmes for individuals on the autistic spectrum.

Significant achievement: Somer Valley FM needed a new logo that was horizontal, rather than vertical in aspect. Adam designed the new logo which we are proud to use.


Media Education, Training & Skills project (METS) Pilot 2017-18 Report METS making the difference……Target Groups: Adults with learning disabilities (5) and Training the Trainer (6)Opportunity: Somer Valley FM was contracted by The Big Local to give 10 hours radio training to members of SWALLOW who support teenagers and adults with learning disabilities. This training was extended thanks to the METS programme. This target group was originally withdrawn from the pilot project as the grant offered could not cover all the projected beneficiary groups. Thanks to achieving some additional funding this strand was reinstated into the pilot year. Since March 2018 SWALLOW members on training at Somer Valley FM are beneficiaries of the Education Trust.

Training offer: SWALLOW support worker Kate has been trained in our studio systems under the Training the Trainer strand. She helps members produce radio during a 1.5 hour visit to the studios every week. Dom Chambers gives feedback during evaluations of the work. It is hoped that an extension of the METS programme into a second year will mean that SWALLOW air a weekly programme on SVFM. Skills gained include verbal communication, task management, teamwork, technical operation and research.

Outcome: Empowering people with a voice to produce broadcast radio is a brilliant outcome for the individual members but it also helps raise the profile and activities of the important work this charity achieves in B&NES.

Trainee Dan says: “I am really excited about learning how to make a radio show, I have always wanted to be a DJ”

Emily Massey is the Executive Principal of Fosse Way, a specialist school in Radstock: “Participation in Somer Valley FM is an extremely positive development for students at Fosse Way School. This training enhances employability skills, enriching community inclusion and most importantly elevate self-esteem. One student recorded a segment for broadcast on his first day at the station. I was most impressed by the professional and engaging broadcast style that he quickly developed. The student concerned has already gained much from the project and this auger extremely well for the school's continuing involvement in community radio at Somer Valley FM”


Media Education, Training & Skills project (METS) Pilot 2017-18 Report What have we learnt from the pilot year?

1. The outcomes, stories and testimonials strongly indicate that the METS training programme works as a force that positively changes people’s lives and impacts on the fabric of community life. We would now like the opportunity to take this forward in a three-year funded programme. During this the CIO would look to attract additional funding so that it can be rolled out to other parts of B&NES such as Keynsham and Twerton. Discussions are already taking place with potential partnering organisations to explore the feasibility of this.

2. The value of METS at pilot phase has tended to emphasise the personal impact around skills, experience and confidence and how that opens life chances for the individual. This will always be the core driver of the programme. Going forward we would like to also draw at-tention to the social value of generating reliably sourced media and the skills that go with understanding and consuming media. Media literacy combats fake news and builds resilience for grass-roots, independent and hyper-local media for the betterment of society.

3. The pilot year has triggered collaborative working with charities doing vital work in the region. These principally include DHI, B&NES Youth Connect, SWALLOW, Dimensions, Fosse Way School and Inner Flame, Bath. Taking METS forward will allow these relation-ships to grow so that the programme develops as a significant medium through which charities can serve and help their beneficiaries. In addition, a second year of METS would see relationships brokered with other key organisations such as Project 28, Catch 22 and off the record.

4. We have identified some particular challenges around applying METS to those in recovery from addictions. During the pilot year we have worked closely with DHI and have had some limited success in helping some of the beneficiaries they have introduced. We would like to better resource this strand so that it can offer more full time support as building media skills and confidence can be particularly challenging for those on a journey from rehab’ to full social reintegration. The lesson of the pilot is that we should enmesh METS train-ing more with the 12 point recovery programme. We also need to revisit how we measure success in this category.

5. Delivering METS at pilot stage has reinforced the need to develop a range of qualifications specifically designed to comple-ment and enhance the outcomes we know can be achieved. Plans are in place to develop a tender that would be offered to examining bodies such as NCFE and City & Guilds. The latter have been involved in the generation of the tender. Whether through the development of new qualifications or working within existing ones we would like to see a significant rise of ac-credited outcomes over a three-year funded programme.

6. The need is identified to coordinate training studio availability with the number of school students attending at any one time: six Year 8 students in a studio at the same time is not ideal for skills progression. Options open for discussion are taking some aspects of METS training into schools and also increase the resource for training support.



“An individual with a little talent, supported by our training and mentoring, will flourish at SVFM. We raise competence quickly and along the way build confidence and resilience. The Board can easily point to many lives changed by access to personal development opportunities at SVFM”. Chris Watt is the former head of Children’s Services in Bath and NE Somerset and a founding director of Somer Valley FM and a trustee of the Somer Valley Education Trust

12 Skill-Me-Up certificates awarded to Y 8&9 students from Fosse Way, Norton Hill and Somervale Schools. Awarded through B&NES Youth Connect these acknowledge skills gained through volunteering. They are awarded following successful completion of the After Schools Training Course which is supported by METS

Simon Mills is a trustee of the Midsomer Norton School’s Partnership:

“Of course, national examination success should be celebrated and valued but unfortunately this is not always a reliable measure for many employers who require useable and practical skills in the workplace. For students the ability to differentiate themselves and develop clearly translatable workplace skills through the METS educational programme means they are almost certain to be assured of employment success.”



The Funder: METS’ principal funder is St John’s Foundation. After reading a mid-project report their Impact Officer, John Thornfield wrote, “The case studies are absolutely superb. I have really enjoyed reading them and hearing such positive stories. I am particularly pleased to hear about the work with NEETs and that you would like to develop this aspect of your work in the future.”

On Thursday 5th July 2018 The Somer Valley Education Trust gave a reception at The Radstock Museum to mark the success of the METS pilot year. Somer of the beneficiaries helped out. SWALLOW provided the Canapés. Over 70 beneficiaries, educational and charitable partners, funders and local decision makers came together in celebration. Naturally the media were there as well!



One of the people who volunteered to help at the reception was Chris. Chris was recommended to us for a traineeship by Inner Flame, Bath. He was 20 years old and had been effectively NEET since leaving school at 16. He lives in sheltered accommodation managed by Curo. Chris offered to help because he wanted to give something back to the opportunity he had been given. Through the traineeship, and his own drive, he has found a positive way forward for himself. He is returning to fulltime education to studio music production:

Chris said: “I’m really excited as everything I have ever wanted is lining up for me. It’s not just the shoe fits. It’s the perfect shoe, All my hobbies and interests fall into a career. This has given me a structure so that I now have a way forward.”

Sam Gillett is the Funding and Impact Manager for St John’s Foundation and he addressed the reception:

“We have been delighted to be involved in the METS programme, from their first application it was clear the passion and dedication they had to supporting young local people to achieve their aspirations. We continue to work with Somer Valley Education Trust and challenge them to keep the project growing, reaching even further than they have done already.”

It is a challenge Dom Chambers and the trustees are keen to accept as the charity looks to expand the METS programme in its second year.

METS originally targeted 28 beneficiaries. We anticipated some level of

drop out and projected for 25 people to see the training through to the stated outcomes. As


Media Education, Training & Skills project (METS) Pilot 2017-18 Report year one closes we can report that 36 people have been helped into a life of their choosing, employment, apprenticeship or full-time education. With a grant of £25,000 that works out at £735 per person. This is a significant social input that helps people into contributing citizenship and saving thousands of pounds for the state purse. It credibly combats some of the significant challenges of our times around wellbeing, isolation and lack of opportunities by providing skills-based learning in a happy, safe and non-judgmental place.

Most crucially METS is that catalyst that enables people to fulfil their potential and aspirations.

…..and the last word goes to Zoe. Her traineeship is over and she is preparing to go to South Africa to work in radio.

“ This place is awesome. Thank you so much.”


Stop Press: On 15 August Somer Valley FM are announced as one of 47 businesses across the UK to be honoured with a Princess Royal Training Award. This noted the strong priority of inclusion and the capacity to work with people of all abilities.

On 17 August The METS Training Programme is nominated in two categories in the Community Radio Awards 2018. The awards are held in September.

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