Uni-versal Extras
Uni-versal Extras was set up to help students find part-time work by supplying them as extras (or Supporting Artists) in TV and Film productions across the UK and Ireland.
History
Uni-versal Extras was founded in 2005 by 23 year old Oxford Brookes student Wayne Berko after a friend bet he would never start any of his IDeaS. He obtained funding by investing his own savings and by applying for DTI loan. A scheme whereby you borrow money from a bank which is guaranteed (up to a point) by the Department Of Trade and Industry. The idea was to offer a free service to all students over the age of 16 to get part-time work that pays extremely well, work that can be fitted around studies and gives an insight in one of the most EXCITING industries in the world. Wayne Berko was asked to become, and now is, an ambassador for a government backed scheme called Make Your Mark. A scheme in place to help young people harness their entrepreneurial skill. Wayne was also named as one of the top 15 young Entrepreneurs in Europe in 2006 by Business Week.
References
- Guardian News Piece 'Acting Up' Jan 2009
- Make Your Mark Inspiring Story about Wayne Berko
- Business Week feature on Universal Extras
- Business Week young Entrepreneur competiton Wayne was a part of
- Article about Wayne in Success Mag
- Article on Enterprise Quest.com<
- Follow-up article in Business Week
- Independent Article