Multi-talented British film star Noel Clarke has become the face of Skillset’s campaign urging Creative Media hopefuls and employers to ‘Pick the Tick’.

The actor, writer and director Clarke, who made his name with the hit movies Kidulthood, Adulthood and the recent 4.3.2.1, has joined forces with veteran director Steve Barron (Merlin, Coneheads, Billie Jean) and acclaimed cinematographer, Mike Eley (Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang). They have produced a promotional film about the Skillset Tick, which is a kite mark of quality for providers of further and higher education in creative media disciplines.

Skillset, which is the Sector Skills Council for the Creative Media Industries, has awarded the Tick to those courses and institutions that have passed its rigorous industry-led accreditation process.

Ticked courses and institutions have been identified as centres of excellence in creative media disciplines that provide the most up-to-date, industry relevant training available.

Noel Clarke is a passionate advocate of providing industry-appropriate training for young people trying to break into the Creative Media Industries. As a spokesperson for the Skillset Tick, Noel is urging students, parents and employers in the film to ‘Pick the Tick’.

He says: “Working in this industry is not all glitz and glamour, but that’s beside the point. Even if it was, it’s still work, and people have to put in the work to succeed. I think that young people need to realise that there are many jobs that need doing, and by picking the Tick, they can learn more about these.”

When Steve Barron entered the industry, there was no such programme of industry-backed training and accreditation, making the journey a far more haphazard one.

He says: “When I started in the film industry, there was no real training, you only learned what you asked, you were never taught anything and I think this is real progress to know there’s a stamp that you can rely on.”

Skillset’s Film and Media Academies from across the UK are the first institutions to be awarded the Tick. There are also 28 Ticked courses on offer across the UK.

The Tick is also a valuable tool for the industry, as it provides a simple guide for employers looking for work-ready graduates seeking to enter the creative media workforce.

Skillset’s deputy chair, and chief executive of Icon Entertainment UK, Stewart Till, said: “Noel, Steve and Mike are all such outstanding examples of the kind of talent that our Creative Media Industries can produce, we are delighted to have them on board. Now, with the Skillset Tick to guide them, we are confident that the pathway for the next generation of stars is clear.”

The Pick the Tick promotional film, featuring Noel Clarke, is available for viewing on YouTube

For more information about the range of Ticked courses and institutions, please visit Skillset