Sky has today unwrapped its brand new Sky Academy Skills Studios in Livingston, a free learning experience for ages eight to 18 that links to the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence and builds life skills. Sky Academy Skills Studios is part of Sky Academy, a ground-breaking set of initiatives that aims to help one million young people build skills, confidence and self-belief by 2020.

The dedicated learning facility, launched by Sky News journalist Kay Burley, with the help of pupils from Newbattle High School, is the second studio of its kind in the UK and aims to welcome 12,000 young people each year.

Students will be able to create their own TV report about a subject they are studying at school using Sky’s state-of-the-art technology, including broadcast-quality cameras; green screens and touch-screen edit tables.

Since the launch of the first Sky Academy Skills Studios in West London in 2012, more than 30,000 students have taken part, helping them to build important skills including communication, creativity and team work.

Bella Vuillermoz, Director, Sky Academy, said: “We are delighted to have opened Sky Academy Skills Studios in Livingston, investing further in our West Lothian campus. This is another step forward in our ambition to see Sky Academy help one million young people unlock their potential and gain the skills, experience and self-belief they need to prepare them for the world of work. It gives them access to a state-of-the-art facility where they can write, shoot and edit their very own television reports related to a subject they are studying at school.”
Kay Burley, Sky News Journalist added: “The Studios are a great asset for school pupils across Scotland, introducing them to the world of the media while helping them to build highly valuable life skills.  It has been great to meet the pupils from Newbattle High School and get a first-hand view of how much an experience like this can impassion and inspire young people.”

Bob Foley, Head of Health and Wellbeing Faculty, Newbattle High School, said: “Some of our pupils were lucky enough to visit the Sky Academy Skills Studios in London which was an amazing experience, so I am thrilled we now have an equally impressive facility here on our doorstep in Scotland and honoured that our pupils had a leading role to play in its launch. Our pupils learnt a great deal from the experience, it really puts the ethos and principles of Curriculum for Excellence into practice and I would urge any teachers interested to register and book their free visit.”

Sky Academy Skills Studios Livingston will be available for use by students aged eight to 18 from schools across Scotland. Teachers can now book free visits for classes from their school online at www.sky.com/skillsstudios
Sky has approximately 3,000 employees in Livingston, located in the town’s Kirkton Campus and Alba Campus. In addition, there are a further 2,700 employees in Dunfermline and Uddingston, making Sky, Scotland’s ninth largest private sector employer.

-ENDS-

For further information:
Joanna Wilson/Hazel Clare Beattie Communications
01698 787847/01324 602557
joanna.wilson@onlybeattie.com/ hazel.clare@onlybeattie.com/

About Sky Academy
Sky Academy is a series of initiatives using the power of television, creativity and sport to help young people unlock their potential and gain the skills, experience and self-belief they need to prepare them for the world of work. Launched in 2013, Sky’s ambition is to create opportunities for up to one million young people to build skills and experience by 2020.

Headquartered in the Believe in Better Building at the heart of Sky’s West London campus, Sky Academy comprises: Sky Sports Living for Sport, Sky Academy Skills Studios, Sky Academy Careers Lab, Sky Academy Starting Out and Sky Academy Scholarships. 

For more information, go to sky.com/academy

About Sky
Sky is Europe’s leading entertainment company. The group serves 20 million customers across five countries: Italy, Germany, Austria, the UK and Ireland. We offer the best and broadest range of content, deliver market-leading customer service and use innovative new technology to give customers a better TV experience, whenever and wherever they choose.

Sky has annual revenues of over £11 billion and is Europe’s leading investor in television content with a combined programming budget of over £4.6 billion. The company employs 31,000 people and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (SKY).

For more information visit sky.com/corporate