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ARE
NORTHERNERS GOING SOFT?
ALTHOUGH it’s the
term “soft southerners” that is most traditionally used, it
seems that northern men could be about to take that title, as the
lack of entries from the region for a nationwide search to find the
nation’s manliest man has proven.
Northern company Rustlers, launched a ‘Campaign for Real Men’
designed to embrace manhood, making men proud to be men and
encouraging women to be proud to be with one. They set out across
the country to get men from across the UK to step forward and stake
their claim to the title.
However, despite the common belief that blokes from “Up North”
are made of sterner stuff than their southern counterparts, hardly
any of them have stepped up to the challenge. Cities who have been
particularly poor in applying are:-
- Newcastle (21)
- Manchester (14)
- Liverpool (12)
- Sheffield (8)
This is in stark contrast to the
thousands of entries received from men in the south, with some of
the highest amount of entrants coming from:-
- Essex (112)
- Bristol (86)
- London (72)
Rustlers have been shocked at the lack of blokes in the north who
have been willing to come forward and show what they’re made of and
want to encourage northerners to save their reputation as being the
toughest and most manly men in the UK, before the southerners take
their crown.
The campaign was launched in response to the tough time men have had
over recent years, having been dictated to in every aspect of their
lives from how to behave and what to eat, to what to wear, or
rather, what not to wear! And so Rustlers are now coming to
the rescue to save men from feminisation and launched the hunt to
find the nation’s ‘Manliest Man’, someone who prefers washing
the car to washing his hair and putting up shelves rather than
putting on make-up!
Because Preston based Rustlers are so keen to have northern men
represented in the final, they have extended the deadline until
Friday 30 November to give them the chance to step up to the
challenge. Any blokes who want to prove that northerners are
still harder than their southern rivals should enter with the chance
of being crowned Britain’s Manliest Man by sex-siren and lads mag
favourite, Lucy Pinder, in a celebration of manliness
at the beginning of December 2007.
Adam Shinwell, spokesperson for Rustlers comments:-
“We’re
really disappointed that northern men aren’t living up to their
reputation and haven’t come forward to compete for the title of
Britain’s Manliest Man. We want as many northern men as possible to
step forward to make sure that we have a balanced competition and
perhaps we can even prove once and for all which side of the country
are the softest?”
Any interested men should finish
this sentence in no more than 100 words:- "I’m a real man because…"
and send their entries along
with an accompanying photograph and full contact details to
manliestman@brazenpr.com
or post them to:-
Britain’s Manliest Man, Brazen PR, Great Ancoats St, Manchester, M4
5AJ.
There’s no age limit, Rustlers just want the definitive article so
enter now!
Wives and girlfriends are permitted to enter their
partners too.
Closing date for entries is 30 November 2007.
For more information visit:-
campaignforrealmencom |
SKILLS MINISTER LAUNCHES UK’S 1ST EVER MEDIA PRODUCTION
APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME
THE Minister
for Skills David Lammy visited the BBC in Manchester today to
officially launch the UK's 1st-ever
Advanced Apprenticeship in Media Production.
The BBC, ITV Granada, Lime Pictures and the Red Production Company
are some of the companies backing the initiative, which has been
devised and funded by Northwest Vision and Media, Skillset, the BBC
and the Learning and Skills Council. This is the 1st time an
apprenticeship scheme has been developed specifically for the media
industry by the media industry with quality of training in mind.
Nearly 300 young people aged 16-22 from Bolton, Preston, Manchester,
Salford and Southport applied for the 18-month apprenticeships. 35%
of the 1st intake of 20 apprentices are from minority ethnic
backgrounds. The apprentices will combine college study while
working in TV, radio, post production, online and emerging new
technologies. They will be given roles such as production runner,
production assistant, production secretary and web assistant. The
apprenticeship will result in a NVQ Level 3 qualification.
The pilot scheme is a timely action as the region is repositioning
itself as a major media hub following the BBC's decision to relocate
5 departments to Salford. It is expected that 1500 jobs will be
relocated to the site, but estimates for the total number of jobs
that mediacity:uk at Salford will create is up to 15,500, of which
approximately 4,000 will be media jobs (including the BBC).
Skills Minister David Lammy said the new apprenticeship was an
exemplary model of a sector-sensitive approach to delivering
relevant, structured and high-quality training to address skills
gaps and shortages - both now and in the future. He said:-
“Any parent or teacher can tell you the huge appetite young
people have for careers in media and new media. This new scheme
addresses that appetite and is a great example of how employers,
unions, public bodies and Sector Skills Councils can work together
to deliver pathways for our young people into good careers.”
He added:- "This new apprenticeship represents an
innovative way to meet employers’ needs in skills provision. The
North West's repositioning as a major national and international
media hub will only realise its full potential with a steady supply
of labour that has the skills to match what industry needs.
These 20 young people and the skills they will learn is a crucial
element in the supply chain. I congratulate the successful
candidates and all the partners - Northwest Vision and Media, BBC,
Skillset and the LSC - who have worked tremendously hard to make
this scheme a reality."
Lynne McCadden, Managing Director of Vision and Media, which works
on behalf of the region's TV, film, radio and digital content
industries, said:- "This is the first opportunity for young
people who don't have GCSE maths or English, to still be able to
apply for an apprenticeship which offers so much potential for their
future career."
Margaret McClelland, Development Executive BBC North Project, said
the scheme would help to provide the skilled workforce needed for
the development of mediacity:uk at Salford Quays. She said:-
"Recruiting young people from different backgrounds, different
cultures and with different life experiences will ensure that our
programming continues to be innovative and truly resonates with all
our audiences."
Dinah Caine, Skillset’s Chief Executive, said:- “With the
Northwest set to become one the biggest media hubs in the UK, we are
working in the region and across the North to help ensure a
diversity of talent makes the most of the opportunities. The
production apprenticeship scheme is just one of the ways we can
ensure this. We have already had interest from other regions and the
Nations, with both Yorkshire and Wales keen to run pilots.”
John Korzeniewski, Learning and Skills Council Regional Director
North West, said:- "This is a fantastic opportunity for a
group of young people who would not usually have been able to break
into the world of broadcasting, to make their dreams a reality.
The programme underlines the vital part apprenticeships play in
boosting the skills of young people and equipping them with the
skills that employers need for the future.” |
