Skillset is collaborating with a new television channel to promote some of the industry’s crucial messages about skills, careers and training standards.

The Sector Skills Council for the audio visual industries will show original television programmes and films from UK universities, colleges and training academies, including the national Skillset Screen Academies.

The company aims to draw interest from mainstream broadcasting groups that are searching for new production and acting talent.

The channel features a series considering diversity issues in the media, looking at how women, minority ethnic groups and the disabled are represented in the sector. Premieres produced by the Screen Academy and master classes from industry experts will also be shown.

Dinah Caine, Chief Executive of Skillset, commented: “The UK has an abundance of existing and emerging talent but that talent needs to be encouraged and developed to continue to meet the needs of an industry responding to constant technological and market changes.”

The aim of the project, she said, was to “help the industry get the benefit of the brightest future talent out there.”

The channel, called Propellor, started broadcasting on Sky channel 289 at 8pm on 6 February 2006.