The Camera Rescue team are on a mission to save old and discontinued film cameras. And if you’d like to join them and learn their craft – now you can. They’re starting a school where they will teach you to repair and preserve old film cameras, and even recreate the missing parts for them. And it’s completely free of charge.
Camera Rescue is a project of project Cameramakers aimed at preserving old cameras that gave us so many memories. The school they’re starting will be a camera technician basic training program. Starting in early April 2021, the team will choose eight talents to enroll the camera repair school that will last four months, teaching them the basics of film camera testing and maintenance. The course will take place in Tampere, Finland in partnership with TAKK (Tampere Adult Education Centre) and the local unemployment office (TE-palvelut).
“The training period will be very hands-on, aiming to give a full overview of all different types of cameras and equipment that passes through our process,” the team explains, “and leave the trainee with enough skills and knowhow to inspect them.” Other that the practical work, the course also includes related theory studies, such as the basics of electronics, materials and 3D printing.
Even though Camera rescue is known worldwide, I need to note that there are currently restrictions for enrolling in the school. Of course, it’s because of the pandemic. Due to the latest travel restrictions, only residents of Finland can enroll. However, the team plans to make the program ongoing, so there will be more chances will for international people in the pandemic-free years that will, hopefully, come soon.
Other than the Finnish residency, there are no other requirements for applicants. “We know from experience that a good camera technician can have anything from several university degrees to no degrees at all,” the team explains. “We want emphasize that all backgrounds are welcome.”
“As the aim of the recruitment program is to build up the technician team based in Tampere, an applicant should be ready to relocate permanently to the city if the recruitment program leads to a job offer. A further two year training program to become a camera mechanic is being developed and can be offered to the camera technicians interested in the most artisanal aspect of the camera world – camera repairing.”
As I mentioned, the course is completely free. In fact, you will be paid the whole time of the training. The attendees get the unemployment benefits based on their recent work history in Finland. And after the basic training, the Camera Rescue team will choose applicants that will stay in the program will get jobs and a salary.
If you’re interested, here are some of the crucial dates to add to your calendar:
– Application period ends 22 March 2021
– The interviews will be held 29 – 30 March 2021
– The training starts on 12 April 2021 and ends on 5 August 2021.
The applications are done through the TE-palvelut application system. The application form is available both in English and Finnish, although the page itself is only in Finnish.
If you’d like to learn more and support Camera Rescue, you can find them on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
[via DPReview]
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