- The UK has a skilled workforce but some skills gaps and shortages persist
- Most common skills gaps and shortages found in mid-level step-up roles
- Leadership and management capabilities were frequently cited as lacking across the workforce
ScreenSkills has launched Powering Production: Identifying Skills Needs in the UK’s Screen Sector, a new report on the skills needed to drive the UK’s screen industry success and protect Britain’s creative edge. Commissioned by ScreenSkills and delivered by Harlow Consulting, the report shines a light on the most pressing skills challenges facing the British screen sector.
Drawing on data from over 500 employers across the UK screen sector, the report provides evidence to help the screen industry and policymakers target investment and training where they are most needed.
The research reveals that while the UK’s screen workforce remains among the most skilled in the world, with 80% of the workforce recognised as proficient by a majority of respondents, mid‑level “step‑up” and leadership roles are increasingly hard to fill with professionals who have the right skills. 37% of employers report critical skills gaps in leadership and management - posing a considerable risk to production quality and long‑term growth.
These skills gaps have led to skills shortages, with more than 65% of employers citing recruitment difficulties due to a lack of skills needed to deliver at required standards. The broad variety of productions, combined with limited experience across different scales of production and budgets, significantly contributes to these shortages.
Skills gaps, shortages and the interventions to solve them are relatively consistent across the UK, with mid-level production roles and experience of large-scale productions being the most-cited regional pressure points. Mid-level and delivery-critical roles were the hardest to fill, with VFX supervisors, post-producers, production coordinators, producers and directors (unscripted TV) all being identified as shortage areas.
The research highlights that there is no substitute for real-life experience as a part of training and skills development. The immediacy and impact of on-set or on-location learning reflect the practical, project-based nature of production. On-the-job training and placements (46%), mentoring and coaching (39%), and job shadowing (28%) were identified by employers as the most effective and valuable strategies to tackle current skills challenges.
The report’s findings reinforce the screen industry’s concern about the government’s decision to remove Growth & Skills Levy funding for higher level apprenticeships in England. Data from Powering Production shows that the industry’s training needs lie predominantly at mid-level and in leadership capability. Almost a quarter of employers (21%) recognised apprenticeships as one of the most useful training interventions but not all of those had sought to hire apprentices over the last year.
Responses to the emergence of AI and its anticipated impact on the sector were more nuanced, with uncertainty around how AI will impact specific roles. However, just over half (52%) of employers reported that they expect AI to change some working practices in their department although many are unsure of how AI technology will be adopted. Interpersonal skills were recognised as the most important for adapting to new technologies. This uncertainty around AI underscores the need for upskilling and reassurance across the screen workforce.
Laura Mansfield, CEO ScreenSkills said, “The UK screen industry is world leading, and its greatest asset is its highly skilled workforce — the people whose creativity and expertise underpin a sector that contributes billions to the UK economy.
"At a time when many people, freelancers especially, are out of work, 65% of employers are citing difficulties in recruiting due to a lack of required skills. This research clearly identifies skills gaps and shortages within the industry and shows that continued investment in upskilling is essential to close that gap.
"ScreenSkills will support the industry in working collectively to address these skills gaps and shortages in leadership, management and AI outlined in the report. Our industry-led skills funds currently run successful initiatives such as the HETV Leaders of Tomorrow programme, and the Unscripted TV Series Producer course and across the funds we will be investing more than ever on upskilling over the next year.
"To maintain the UK’s reputation for excellence in TV and Film and remain creatively and commercially competitive in a global market we must invest in the talented people behind the scenes.”