ScreenSkills announces phase two of ScreenSkills Training Passport

ScreenSkills has announced the next phase of its industry-approved Training Passport, following a successful 10 month-long pilot. The passport is in collaboration with BBC Studios, ITV Studios and Sky, as well as new partners for phase 2, including BBC Public Service.

The ScreenSkills Training Passport is the first pan-industry initiative to provide a digital record of standardised and industry-approved training that production staff can take from one production to the next. The passport was piloted from May 2024 to March 2025, and included two ScreenSkills e-learning modules, plus additional bespoke modules for each partner’s productions.

During the pilot, 1,215 freelancers working on 172 productions across the three studio partners used the Training Passport service, while more than 6,500 freelancers also completed their passport training independently.

Productions that used the passport included: Bargain Hunt, Dragon’s Den, EastEnders and Strictly Come Dancing (BBC Studios); After the Flood Series Two, Come Dine With Me and The Guest (ITV Studios); and Brassic Series 7, Mr Bigstuff, Prisoner and Under Salt Marsh (Sky).

Following the success of the pilot, the Passport will be expanded to provide greater flexibility to employers and breadth to freelancers. It will include access to two new e-learning modules on data privacy and financial misconduct, whose development is kindly supported by the ScreenSkills Unscripted TV Skills Fund, with contributions from broadcasters, SvoDs and production companies.

The passport will also integrate the health and safety training currently recorded by the Production Safety Passport (PSP) - a successful scheme that helps productions stay safe by ensuring crew and management have access to quality training, which they can take from one production to the next. There are currently more than 50,000 PSP certificates in force, with 13,000 issued in 2024-25.

Tim Weiss, Director of Vocational Skills and E-Learning at ScreenSkills said: “I am thrilled to see the success of this pilot, and am excited to expand the range of training and development modules included within our Training Passport. Our completion data from the pilot suggests substantial potential benefits to the industry - reducing repetition of training and increasing compliance among freelancers - and the addition of two new partners for our second year reflects the trust the industry places in ScreenSkills to deliver these benefits.”

Jonathan Wall, Director, BBC Sounds (on behalf of BBC Public Service) said: “Following the successful pilot in BBC Studios, the BBC is delighted to confirm that we’ll be embarking on the expansion of the ScreenSkills Training Passport to include freelancers engaged in Public Service. This represents a positive step forward in improving the experience of freelancers right across the industry, promoting an industry-standard that cultivates a safer and more inclusive environment for everyone, enabling everyone to thrive and deliver their best work. We’ll be working with internal teams as we gradually expand the passport’s applicability within Public Service over the next 12 months and will continue to work in collaboration with ScreenSkills and other industry partners to ensure the passport’s continued success.”

Martyn Freeman, Chief Operating Officer, BBC Studios, said: "We’re delighted to see this training initiative with ScreenSkills and our production partners off to such a promising start. With freelance talent being an important part of the industry, the ScreenSkills Training Passport is a welcome development in supporting a more seamless process across productions."

Julie Clark, Director of Scripted Productions at ITV Studios said: “The ScreenSkills Training Passport is a game-changer for our industry. The 'one-stop shop' for mandatory training and the opportunities that are provided by ScreenSkills will mean more engagement in training, less admin and ultimately more time to make great TV!”

Caroline Cooper, COO, Sky Studios, said: “We welcome the expansion of the range of courses available in the ScreenSkills Training Passport and have been really encouraged to see this excellent initiative make such a great start. We look forward to continuing to support such an important scheme as it enters its next phase.”

Pact CEO John McVay OBE, said: "Pact is pleased that the ScreenSkills Passport pilot has been successful and that it will be rolled out further across the industry with the addition of new partners. The Passport helps employers to hire crew with confidence knowing that they already have a high standard of training, enabling them to move more quickly into production."