Kahurangi Toi Ātea: Creating a Pathway Into the Screen Industry

New Zealand’s screen industry has long relied on an informal approach to training new crew: get your foot in the door, join a production and learn as you go. But as the industry looks to build a deeper, more sustainable workforce, that model may no longer be enough. As Kahurangi Toi Ātea prepares for its next intake, we spoke with Emma Slade and Victoria Dabbs, who developed and implemented the programme, about creating a more structured pathway into the industry, and what it takes to turn emerging talent into production-ready crew. Applications are open until 2 September.
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What inspired the creation of Kahurangi Toi Ātea? Can you tell us a little about how the programme first came to life?

This is a long term project. For the screen industry to grow sustainably and encourage domestic and international projects to shoot here, we must have the people infrastructure to support that growth. 
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Pre-covid there were a lot of international projects happening and there were not enough crew to support them all - the projects were poaching crew off each other! The trickle down effect of ‘not enough crew’ was horrendous for smaller projects. This crew shortage stunted New Zealand’s opportunity to say to the world, yes, we have the crew depth to support all of this work, so please keep coming to Aotearoa to film. 
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For years we've relied heavily on informal training models. People were being thrown into productions and expected to pick things up as they go. This approach is flawed for several reasons: 1) it can create barriers for people who don't already have industry connections or who don't know how to get their foot in the door; 2) there is a high risk of reducing the quality of our crews doing it in this ad-hoc way. Aotearoa is known for having A-grade crew, we don’t want to jeopardise that reputation through poorly planned crew recruitment; 3) it builds a significant revolving door for displaced, disillusioned new entrants into the industry who are not getting the appropriate support they need and 4) it does not provide the support to the production or the mentors that take these trainees on. 
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It is also crucial to have a standardised or NZQA-approved training programme so all trainees receive consistent, high-quality teaching across the nation to maintain that A-grade reputation of our crews. 
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Kahurangi Toi Ātea was designed to bridge the gap by creating a structured pathway into screen production. We wanted to combine industry knowledge, practical skills and paid workplace experience into a single programme that reflects how people actually learn.
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Every other country around the world that prioritises screen production has their own training programme, why doesn’t New Zealand?
 
Kahurangi Toi Ātea Screen Training Programme has been designed by the industry for the industry. It has not been imposed by outside authorities, but by our people, our crew members.

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New Zealand already has tertiary screen courses and other training opportunities. Where did you feel the biggest gap existed between training and actually getting that first job?

There are terrific tertiary screen courses in Aotearoa and Kahurangi Toi Ātea is designed to enhance these, not replace. The Programme is a bridge between education and employment. It is also NZQA-approved, which is a key difference between Kahurangi Toi Ātea and other non-standardised training opportunities. 
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Tertiary graduates are only one intake stream into the Programme, we are also looking at two other intake streams - people who have transferable skills from other sectors/industries and people who are already in the industry but are looking to step up within their own department or across into another department. Not everyone who would like to be a crew member has the means to go to university. With the short, intense, structure of the Kahurangi Toi Ātea classroom learning and then work-as-you-earn structure of the workplace learning makes the Programme appealing for people from all backgrounds. 
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We want to ensure that all potential crew members have quality education that speaks directly to the job that they would be doing on a production and that everyone has an equal opportunity to be selected, rather than ‘who you know’. This only encourages diversity/inclusion and a healthy sector, while maintaining an A-grade reputation of our crews. 

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Kahurangi Toi Ātea combines classroom learning, formal assessment and paid workplace experience. Why was it important that all three elements were part of the model?

We want to promote excellence within our crews and each of these components are designed to elevate excellence. 
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Classroom learning provides the foundation. It gives participants a common language and introduces the core principles they'll need in the workplace. The classroom learning comprises of a 5-day online Introduction to Screen Industry Course, then the in-person the Professional Respect Course followed by the individual role based courses, which are 4-7 days, depending whether the course is level 3,4,5 or 6. 
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Formal assessment provides a recognised benchmark and ensures that participants have genuinely understood and applied what they've learned. Both the classroom and workplace courses are NZQA-approved. 
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Workplace experience is where everything comes together. That's where participants learn how to communicate within a production team, manage competing priorities, solve problems and adapt to the realities of a busy set/off-set or production office.
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Removing any one of those elements weakens the model. We wanted to create a programme that develops both competence and confidence.

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Kahurangi Toi Ātea aims to prepare people to be “set ready”. What does that look like in practice, and what do you think separates someone who’s technically capable from someone who’s genuinely ready to work on a professional production?

Being set ready means understanding both the practical and professional expectations of working in the industry. Technical knowledge is important, but it's only one part of the equation.
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Someone who is genuinely ready understands how to communicate effectively, follow instructions, manage their time, ask questions appropriately and work collaboratively under pressure. Professional productions move quickly. Departments are interdependent, and people rely on one another.
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The most successful trainees aren't necessarily the people with the strongest technical backgrounds. They're often the people who are curious, adaptable, good listeners, quick to learn, have a great attitude, reliable and enthusiastic. 

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The pilot programme was delivered on Holy Days. Looking back, what surprised you most, and what did you change as a result?

We were surprised and encouraged about how successful the Programme was. The importance of having not only the participants, but the HODS, crew, producers and line producers on board was critical. The programme will only be as successful as the people directly and in-directly involved. There has to be an openness, a willingness and spirit of generosity for programmes like this to work. 
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The lead up to the commencement of the Programme provided an opportunity for us to filter through applicants and select the most appropriate candidates for the industry. This is important for projects looking at taking trainees on. They want the best people, as do we. 
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It also became apparent how important our pastoral care programme was. Each participant progresses at their own rate - some people need more time to build confidence, while others are ready to take on greater responsibility. Our participants and mentors regularly accessed the KTA team for pastoral care, which we actively encouraged. We have also continued to strengthen the mentoring framework, clarifying expectations for both trainees and productions and building in more opportunities for feedback and reflection throughout the Programme. 
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The pilot also gave us valuable insights into how to balance learning and assessment with the operational demands of a working production.

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The next intake includes classroom training for more participants than there are immediate production placements. How will workplace placements be allocated, and what happens for those who are not placed straight away?

Workplace placements will be allocated through a matching process that considers a participant's interests, strengths, availability and career goals alongside the needs of individual productions.
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Those who aren't placed straight away will remain connected to the programme who will assist them to find other workplace opportunities as they become available.
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Our goal is to create a sustainable talent pipeline rather than a single intake linked to a single production.

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What do you look for in an applicant? Is previous screen experience essential, or can transferable skills from other industries be just as valuable?

Previous screen experience isn't essential. We're looking for people who demonstrate commitment, curiosity and a genuine interest in working in the industry.
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Many of the skills that make someone successful in film and television are highly transferable. Organisation, communication, teamwork, problem-solving and adaptability are valuable in almost any professional environment.
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Some of the strongest applicants we've seen have come from completely different industries.
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What matters most is attitude and a willingness to learn.

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Productions are busy environments, and mentoring takes time. How have you designed the programme so trainees receive meaningful support while fitting into the realities of a working production?

The reality is, any new person coming into a department requires some degree of training from someone in the department. KTA is just formalising this and providing some financial assistance for the mentor, as well as pastoral care. We've worked closely with productions to create a structure that recognises the realities of the industry.
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Trainees aren't simply added to a production and left to find their own way. There are clear expectations, dedicated mentors, regular check-ins and defined learning outcomes. As the Programne was designed by industry members, it is recognised that productions operate to tight schedules and budgets and time/money is at a premium. 
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The Programme has been created to support both trainees and productions so that learning becomes part of the workflow rather than an additional burden.
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As these are NZQA-approved courses, there is compliance that must be taken into account. This responsibility sits with KTA. The mentors are required to verify the participants learning, but KTA takes on the onus of the assessments. 

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What does a successful workplace placement look like from your perspective? How do you know someone is learning and progressing throughout the experience?

When you can walk onto a set or industry environment and you can’t tell who are ‘established crew’ and who are trainees, that is success. When a trainee is meaningfully contributing to a department, helping the department run smoothly, doing a great job and being a valuable team member that the HOD loves having there - that’s success. 
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Success is more than someone who can complete a specific task independently after a few weeks. Success is about growth. We look for increasing confidence, greater independence, stronger communication skills and a developing understanding of how productions operate. We also rely on regular feedback from mentors and production teams. One of the most encouraging signs is when a trainee begins anticipating what needs to happen next rather than simply responding to instructions. That's often the point at which someone starts moving from being a student to becoming a screen professional.

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Looking ahead five years, what would you like New Zealand’s screen workforce to look like, and what role do you hope Kahurangi Toi Ātea will have played in getting us there?

We'd like to see a larger, more resilient and more sustainable workforce that says to the domestic and international market that we have a depth of crew that can sustain all of their productions. New Zealand has extraordinary creative talent, but the industry has historically struggled to maintain a consistent pipeline of work to maintain skilled practitioners, it’s either feast or famine. By having a deeper and more robust crew base throughout Aotearoa, we can have more projects filming up and down the country, providing consistency of work for all the regions. 
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We also hope Kahurangi Toi Ātea will have helped create a recognised and accessible pathway into the industry. Success would be seeing former trainees progressing into long-term careers and eventually returning as mentors themselves. With a kaupapa of openness, generosity and goodwill to the industry as a whole, creating a cycle of knowledge-sharing and professional development that strengthens the entire screen sector.

Visit https://kahurangitoiatea.co.nz/ to explore the available courses, check your eligibility and apply.

Applications close Wednesday 2 September.

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