Andy Jones Appointed IABM Head of Training

IABM has announced the appointment of Andy Jones as Head of Training. He will take on the role from 18 January, 2016.

Mr Jones will be charged with taking the IABM's industry training portfolio to the next level to establish the organisation as the 'go-to' provider of lifelong learning for the industry.

A professional engineer with a detailed knowledge of broadcast and digital media technology, Jones joins the IABM from the BBC's Wood Norton Training Academy in the UK, where he was Principal Technologist – the culmination of a 26-year broadcast technology training career with the BBC.

Since IABM committed to closing the industry skills gap by making training a central tenet of its services a number of years ago, the IABM Training Academy has welcomed hundreds of media engineers onto its courses in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. Courses cover disciplines from orienting IT engineers to video, teaching media technology basics to non-engineering staff and providing CPD for established engineers. Attendees are welcomed from the supply and customer side of the industry.

Three years ago, IABM furthered its commitment to training with the establishment of the IABM Educational Foundation. An independent charity, the Foundation provides support and exposure for students coming into the industry, together with funding and expertise to deliver global distribution of tools for skills development. Most recently, the Foundation has introduced accreditation for course attendees so that their newly-acquired skills can be tested, certified and officially recognised.

"We are delighted to welcome Andy to IABM to head up our training division," said Peter White, CEO, IABM. "He has the track record, drive and expertise we need to grow our training offering into a truly comprehensive resource for our industry. We have received many accolades for our training from both the vendors we represent and their customers. With Andy at the helm, the IABM Training Academy will make another quantum leap forward."

"After so many years creating and delivering training, as well as managing training resources at the BBC, I feel particularly pleased and excited to bring my skills to the burgeoning IABM Training Academy," said Andy Jones. "I have been aware of IABM for many years, and really took note when the Association began to ramp up its training initiative over the last five years. I cannot wait to get started on what will be a new and exciting challenge for me."

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(JP)