Music Agency Training

Objective 1 The Survey of Competence needs
A survey of the industry's key competence needs to ensure up-to-date professional competence that also considers future competence needs. The goal of the project is to produce up-to-date information that promotes the entire industry about the development needs of music agents and agencies so that the conditions for the growth of live music return to the time before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective 2 Training planning and piloting
The goal of the project is to design and pilot a continuing education package for operators in the live music industry. The goal is to train at least 10 new software sellers to work for Finnish music agencies already in the field or to work as independent entrepreneurs in the field. The goal of the project is also to deepen the competence of the employees of the program offices already operating in the field through a customised training package, which is planned based on the identified competence needs. The training package can be used after the pilot, e.g. in continuing education in the field. The sub-goal is to increase personnel management skills and the field's attractiveness through work supervision.

The main objective of the Music Agent Training project is to train employees of Finnish music agencies and new agencies to operate in a national and international business environment. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a shortage of skilled agents arose quickly in the live music field. Several Finnish music agents stopped working in the music business and changed professions. The Association of Finnish Music Agencies (SOA) addressed the topic in early 2023. It started looking for an opportunity to train at least 10 new music agents in the field and at the same time to update and expand the knowledge and skills of music agencies and event producers working in the field in collaboration with the Tampere University of Applied Sciences. The goal of the project is to map and clarify the current and future skills needs of the program office sector, and to plan and pilot continuing education in the sector based on the results of the survey. In this project, training is organized for new music agents like this:

- During 2024, starting in February, there will be a total of nine teaching days in Tampere.
- About a week or two after these teaching days, job guidance for small groups is mainly carried
out online.
- Job guidance is involved in an internship, which the trainee can provide at the Finnish music agency or the role of a self-employed person. In addition to these lessons, the trainees participate in music conferences in Seinäjoki, Tallinn and Tampere. These events are useful because of the networking. The last conference will be in February 2025 in Seinäjoki.

After the initial survey, this project, also organizes management, recruitment and business development training for those who are currently working in the music agencies, either as teaching in a classroom or/and online, starting in March 2024 to December 2024. The result of the project is a report on the development needs of the program agency sector, as well as a continuing education package piloted once in the project for operators in the sector. The results will be used by all industry players in the future and will be distributed in industry networks, events and publications.

The project is coordinated by Tampere University of Applied Sciences and the Association of Finnish Music Agencies SOA ry and other actors in the field are closely involved in the cooperation.