A network of seven UK screen academies to train and nurture a new generation of filmmakers was announced yesterday.

The new academies, made up of 11 film schools, colleges and universities, will share more than £5.3m over two years to develop new courses, summer schools, online learning resources, and provide bursaries, said Skillset, the skills council for the audio visual industries.

The Screen Academy Network is endorsed by the UK film industry and is part of wider strategy by Skillset to develop skills at all educational levels, from City & Guilds and diplomas to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, as well as short courses for those already working in the industry.

The network includes the Film Business Academy at Cass Business school - the first dedicated film business centre in the UK - which will create the first full and part-time specialist masters courses in film business and a customised film MBA.

The academies will be initially funded by Skillset, but they will also be eligible to apply for additional money from the funding council Hefce. The skills council is exploring further funding steams with the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council and the Higher Education Funding Council Wales.

The network is made up of single institutions and consortia and acceptance was based of the quality of existing courses and their ability to complement each other. Skillset will review membership after two years. A Skillset spokeswoman said the academies would be a "beacon" to anyone wanting to enter the film industry as they would highlight the best courses and entry routes.

Speaking at yesterday's launch, the deputy chairman of Skillset and chairman of the UK Film Council, Stewart Till, said: "It [the network] brings the industry and the education system much closer together ensuring UK film gets the skilled talent it needs for a strong and healthy business."

The minister for film, James Purnell, said the network was "great news" for the film industry. "It puts the UK right at the forefront in terms of film skills development and goes a long way towards ensuring the long term success and sustainability of our film industry."

Meanwhile, Phil Hope, the minister for lifelong learning, said the network mirrored the "very essence of government policy by putting industry at the helm of the skills agenda, ensuring it is demand-led".

The network is made up of:
The Screen Academy at the Arts Institute Bournemouth and Bournemouth Media school
The Screen Academy at London College of Communication (the University of Arts London), and the Ealing Institute of Media (Ealing and West London College)
The Screen Academy at Napier University and Edinburgh College of Art
The Screen Academy at The Film Academy (University of Glamorgan) and International Film school Wales (University of Wales Newport)
The Screen Academy at the London Film school
The Screen Academy at the National Film and Television school
The Film Business Academy at Cass Business school