Applications are now open for this year’s Leaders of Tomorrow programme. Funded by the High-end TV Skills Fund, Leaders of Tomorrow is a three-year programme focused on providing support to mid-level professionals working in high-end TV, giving them the tools they need to become tomorrow’s industry leaders.
This webinar covers all you need to know about applying to the Leaders of Tomorrow programme. Watch now to find out:
- Who can apply
- Who can nominate potential applicants
- About the two-stage application process
- The support on offer from the programme
This session also features:
- Insights from a Leaders of Tomorrow alumna
- Top tips for applying
- An audience Q&A
Aleysha Minns-McGrath, ScreenSkills HETV Skills Manager led with session. She was joined by Annie Little, hair and make-up designer and Leader of Tomorrow programme alumna and Suz Reid, producer and Chair of the HETV Skills Fund Scotland Working Group.
This is a recording of an online event that took place on 7 July 2025 and was supported by the ScreenSkills High-end TV Skills Fund with contributions from HETV productions made in the UK. The event was signed by a BSL interpreter and there are closed captions.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath, ScreenSkills HETV Skills Manager
Well, welcome everybody to the Leaders of Tomorrow 2025 webinar. Thank you for joining us this evening.
We're going to kick off with brief introductions of the panel, but first I want to do a little bit of housekeeping. So to make you aware, we have closed captioning activated for this call, as well as our BSL interpreters, for those with accessibility requirements, too.
It is a webinar, so we cannot see any of you, but there is a Q&A function available, and that is available throughout the whole call. So, if you do have any questions, just pop them in the Q&A function, and we'll answer all questions at the end, just to keep this nice and tidy.
So let's introduce the panel. I'll start off with me first. So, hi, I'm Aleysha. I'm the High-end TV Professional Skills Manager here at ScreenSkills and I look after the day-to-day running of Leaders of Tomorrow.
Just to remind you all, Leaders of Tomorrow is a three-year inclusive stepping-up program for mid-level freelance crew that want to become a senior leader at some point in the future. So, this isn't a scheme for trainees or entry level, and it is not for producers, writers, or directors either. So just a little recap of the program for you. I will hand over to Suz to introduce herself.
Suz Reid, producer and Chair of the HETV Skills Fund Scottish Working Group
Hi, I'm Suzanne Reid. I'm a series producer working in high-end TV and films. I'm also the Chair of the Screen Skills Working Group for Scotland, along with being a nominator, mentor, and huge supporter of Leaders of Tomorrow.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
Yes, and Annie, introduce yourself.
Annie Little, hair and make-up designer and Leaders of Tomorrow programme alumna
Hi, I'm Annie Little, and an alumnus of Leaders of Tomorrow, a hair and makeup designer working in film and television, high-end film and television. I've been an on-set hairstylist to people like Letitia Wright, Josh O'Connor and Gugu Mbartha-Raw, among others. I'm drawn to good stories. I'm both storyteller, and I'm an active participant in the industry. I've served as a judge, a panel speaker and a mentor. And I was very happy to be on Leaders of Tomorrow, and hopefully I can share my experiences with you.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
Thank you, Annie. So now, brief introductions are done. I'm just going to quickly outline what the programme has to offer our participants over the 3 years.
So, as part of the programme, they have access to a number of support options over the three years. It's part of a pick-and-mix package, so not everybody has the same experience, everybody takes different options that suit their requirements and their goals. So, you don't need to use them all, but support is including things like placements on high-end TV productions, a mentor, bursaries, training sessions, and sort of PR exposure, and a big launch event that we do every January for the new cohorts.
So, Suz, you've been involved with Leaders of Tomorrow for a number of years. You are an avid supporter, we love you very much. Why do you think Leaders of Tomorrow is such an important initiative?
Suz Reid
I think, you know, it's so important to give longer training. I think, you know, longer-term training for our next industry leaders is not something you can be learned in a series of short courses. Of course, the short courses are great to build you, too. But the fact it's a 3-year initiative, it's amazing. You know, you start off with so many of the cohort who are not confident, and by the end they're glowing with confidence, and it is amazing to see. I think that's what's important about Leaders of Tomorrow is that it's a longer-term view of looking for our next leaders.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
Hmm, yeah. But, Annie is living proof of that. Annie is our Leader of Tomorrow from our first ever cohort that we had, who is now a graduate. So who better to find out first-hand about the experience of the program than from Annie?
So, thank you for joining us, Annie. Could you tell me about when you applied and joined the programme?
Annie Little
It feels like such a long time ago now. But let me just say one thing. The programme will go really, really quickly. But I applied, I think, in the early part of 2021. I was working in the hair and makeup department as hair and makeup artist. And, the great thing about working was I had work, so I was working and going from job to job to job. But then I realised that there was a point where I was just working, and I didn't feel like I was working towards any direction.
And, Leaders of Tomorrow just came at the right time, and I was able to sort of stop. And I made the application, and it changed everything for me.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
Oh, that's good to know. The part of the training - we offer a lot of training as part Leaders of Tomorrow for 3 years. And what sort of training sessions have helped you over the 3 years?
Annie Little
Well, like I said, it helped me to kind of stop and slow down, and so the training was really important, and really key and crucial at the time when I needed it. I wanted to level up but I didn't know how to level up. I didn't know if levelling up was my responsibility, or someone else's responsibility. But Leaders of Tomorrow helped me to understand it was really my responsibility. And so the training they offered, I jumped at it. It was like, management and leadership - I'm sure everyone's heard of that programme. Coaching - I've got independent coaching, and also I got group coaching with some of my cohort, and that really, really helped. I paid for with my bursary, I paid for career coaching, yeah.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
Oh, yeah
Annie Little
So, I used to really, really wisely. The training was excellent, I thought.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
I was going to ask you about your bursary. So you've used your bursary for some training. What else did you use it for?
Annie Little
Yeah. I used it for training, I used it for kit. Not kit that I already had, but kit that I would need moving into my new role and like I say, I was levelling up. So, I was an artist, and my goal was to be in design, and so I looked at things that a designer would need, for example. So things like a towel warmer, which I know sounds a bit silly, but they're sort of crucial things to any trailer and any job. I used it for wet weather gear. And when I got stuck, I asked my cohort, I just put a note in the chat, and I just said, what have people used their bursary for? And things came back at me, you know, which is really helpful.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
Yeah, well, I was going say, like, the Leaders of Tomorrow part of the use of the programme is to create a community within the Leaders of Tomorrow themselves, over every cohort. So, is that something you found really valuable over your time?
Annie Little
Yeah, because working in the hair and makeup department your friends are the same. You know, on every job I made sure that I stepped outside of the trailer and tried to make friends with, you know, some other person in some other department. So I knew people in different places, but the Leaders of Tomorrow programme really helped me to understand those people in different departments, and I could step outside of the makeup trailer, so, you know, I got to know people on sound, VFX, editing, people that I wouldn't really come across in my daily life, and we formed some really great friendships. And it was great to go through the programme with people.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
Yeah. And just the last one, any placements that you've done? Because that is always a big question we get asked on Leaders of Tomorrow is about placements. Did you do any? How did they help?
Annie Little
Yeah, I didn't do any placements immediately, because I really focused on myself and training and sort of figuring out who I was and where I wanted to go. But one of the placements that came up was for Queen Charlotte, A Bridgerton Story, and I started on that placement as a hair and makeup artist. But I sidestepped into a hair and makeup coordinator, just because I had a personal issue, and I needed to be grounded, but it turned out to be like a real pivotal moment and a real life-changing job for me.
I know… well, I'm not sure how the industry relates to the hair and makeup coordinator now, but for me, it was almost like being a supervisor. And also, in that job, I got to be the interim crowd supervisor. So I played, sort of, two roles. Mainly, I had to oversee almost a thousand wigs from purchase right through to filming, and make sure that every person had their wig, you know, on and that it was styled and maintained and travelled, and all of that kind of stuff. And then managed two teams within that whole structure.
So, I really, really levelled up in that job, and it just opened more doors for me.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
Sometimes the side step can be just as good as a step up.
Annie Little
Yeah, I agree, I agree.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
Yeah, I mean…. Yeah, definitely. Oh, that's brilliant. Well, since we're talking about placements, Suz is, as I said, a big advocate for Leaders of Tomorrow, and she's been on the other side of all of this by actually facilitating placements for Leaders of Tomorrow on her productions.
So, Suz, could you tell me about what the experience is like for you, having Leaders of Tomorrow on your productions?
Suz Reid
I love having Leaders of Tomorrow on my productions, you know, because they are… So, in the first cohort, I had one Leader of Tomorrow, and I was actually her nominator, so that was an easy one. That was not a hard one to sign up to, basically. But the next production that I did, I think I had 3 Leaders of Tomorrow.
And the difference in the Leaders of Tomorrow cohort… what they bring is such passion and excitement for what they're doing, and the opportunities that they're being given that you don't always see. So, I really enjoy watching them learn and grow.
And I also enjoy spending time with them, you know, talking through. Even though they have their mentors, but just talking through what they're learning, what they're stumbling blocks are. And yeah, I just enjoy watching their skills and confidence grow.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
That's such a lovely answer, Suz! So nice! This is why you are such an advocate for our programme.
Suz Reid
Yeah, exactly, but it is, it is really that thing of, you know… because the cohorts get chosen, and I suppose they're, like, the chosen ones. So they're so excited and so passionate because of what they have got... It is very hard to become a Leader of Tomorrow on this programme, you know. It's not… I see the applications, I see the amount of work that people get in, but there is only place for so many, so not everybody makes it through. So, the ones that do are very passionate about Leaders of Tomorrow. And I see them, and I talk to them, and they love the programme, because they're getting so much out of it.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
I'm going to remind them all that they're the chosen ones. Thank you for that, Suz! When I next speak to them all… remember, you're the chosen ones! That's great. Now, because we've been talking about placements, it only seems right to just give everybody a bit of a brief overview about what placements are as part of Leaders of Tomorrow programme.
So, as I said, they're only one small support option that we do offer, because we offer lots of things. Productions that are legible as part of Leaders of Tomorrow, they must be high-end TV productions, they can be of any band, scripted or unscripted. But they've got to pay into the high-end TV Skills Fund, so this doesn't include feature films. Unless, in some instances, streamers, they pay in, but it's only in certain situations. It doesn't include children's television either.
We get a question a lot about what placements look like, and the answer is it can be anything. They're incredibly flexible in our programme to reflect the industry and our Leaders of Tomorrow. So, they're flexible, and they're all about career progression, which is what the programme is all about. So, it can be shadowing, step-up days, it can be taking on, you know, responsibility on the second unit, or shadowing during prep, strike... The possibilities are pretty open, and the length of placements vary completely depending on department, production, what the goal is of the placement.
So, now we've sort of talked about placements, and got Annie's experience, we're going to talk about nominators now. You’re going to need one to apply for Leaders of Tomorrow, and it can be a little bit confusing for people. So, we're just going to briefly talk about what a nominator is, and also what role they play as part of our application process as well.
So, a nominator is ideally somebody that knows you well and has worked with you before. This is so they can vouch for your skills and your experience if called upon. And also, working at a senior level. So, head of department, a producer, line producer, head of production, somebody of that senior level can nominate a Leader of Tomorrow. For nominators, just ensure that they can have a chat with you, know about the programme, and ensure that you're the right fit for the programme when you're filling out your application. And also that you're a suitable level to progress and really make the most out of the programme as well.
We do have a lot more information on nominators that is going to go live with the application tomorrow. So we have a pre-recorded 10-minute video that speaks to Hannah Green and Monica, who is also Leader of Tomorrow, and Hannah, our chair of the Leaders of Tomorrow Working Group. They talk through what it is to be a nominator, why you're nominating for the programme.
I will send all the links to this tomorrow, when the applications go live, so from 9am, keep an eye on your inbox. It is a really great video, and I just recommend everybody go watch it, and if you do want to apply for Leaders of Tomorrow, send it to your nominator, because it gives lots of information.
A nominator doesn't have to do anything, they don't have to fill in any paperwork, they just have to give you their contact details and permission to use their name on your application form. If you are successful, they'll be asked to provide a quote about why they nominated you in the first place, so they don't have to do a big application form. So, you can go and watch the video of that, and get all the information there when it goes up tomorrow.
So, Annie? When it comes to nominating, how did you approach our nominator when you applied for Leaders of Tomorrow, and how did you discuss your application?
Annie Little
Well, when I applied, Leaders of Tomorrow was brand new, so it was new to us all, really. But I reached out to a head of department that knew me and had worked with me in the past. And she always said to me that, you know, I'd make a good designer, and so when the programme came about, I reached up to her and sort of talked about it. She… at that time, like I said, it was quite a new programme, so I led her back to the ScreenSkills website and what the information was all about. And also, at that time, she corresponded, I think, with Hannah, which I know is going to be different this time. But that's what she did, so Hannah was able to say, look, this is the programme, this is what it's about and this is what we're asking of you.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
Yeah, you're in the first cohort, so none of it we'd not run one before, so it was a totally different experience.
Annie Little
Yeah.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
Have you ever nominated somebody before, or recommended Leaders of Tomorrow?
Annie Little
I have recommended Leaders of Tomorrow, and I think because of my movement, I guess, through the industry, people have sort of wondered what's been going on, and I always refer back to Leaders of Tomorrow. Last year, I was in the fortunate position of having a cup of tea with someone that I've been, sort of, seeing maybe a couple of times a year as not a mentor, but sort of a semi-mentor, I guess. We we're just having chats and she was in a dilemma, and I mentioned this programme and she asked me to be her nominator, so I felt really it was like a full circle moment.
So, I nominated someone to the programme, which doesn't mean that they're going to get on, because like you said, it really is a very special programme, and you really have to be ready, and you really have to want to take advantage of everything that comes, and you have to work hard. It's not an easy-breezy programme. But, she was successful, and just so happy, really and doing great things. I've seen a change in her, even from last year to this year immediately.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
Yeah, just because the Leader of Tomorrow nominates does not mean that they're going to get on. The competition is fierce for these places. We have a lot of applicants. But we do, as part of Leaders of Tomorrow, as we was talking about earlier with Annie, about this culture, this ethos, is we do encourage, you know… this is the whole point of the nominator scheme. If a nominator sees somebody that has potential that can do well, please nominate or make them aware of the programme. Because, it could be the turning point that somebody needs to break that glass ceiling that they just keep hitting, and they just can't get through.
So yeah, Annie is just the whole ethos of the programme. You can see why we've got her on here, can't you?
So, Suz, you've nominated for Leaders of Tomorrow in the past, as you've said. Could you give, you don't have to give names, but could you give a particular example of a candidate and why it was that you nominated that person?
Suz Reid
Absolutely. So, my production manager, we'd worked together for quite a few years and I nominated her for the first cohort. I knew that she was ready to take the step to being a line producer, but she really didn't have the confidence yet. And I just knew that, obviously, Leaders of Tomorrow was new, but I knew the brilliant work you guys were doing in pulling together this fantastic programme.
I just knew that that was going to really help her, along with giving her a mentor that wasn't me. She was my production manager, of course, I was going to mentor her anyway, you know. But, just somebody who'd had a different perspective on the industry, I think would have really helped her.
And she's currently working as a line producer, doing brilliantly. One simple thing is that Leaders of Tomorrow were able to help her with her bursary. It funded a public speaking course, which she attended. And it was just such a little thing, but it made such a big difference because…. we have to think about it. I hadn't got any public speaking experience before I became a head of department, and it's something you sort of stumble through and try to figure out and make it happen.
But just one little thing like that really helped her a lot, along with all the other things that she got out of it. But it, you know, just a simple little course that you wouldn't even think about for the industry, public speaking, but it's so important.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
Yeah, you wouldn't think about, you know, spending money that's meant for… Industry people, just think kit or something gets very specific to them, but public speaking, that's a really interesting use of the bursary.
Suz Reid
Yeah and really good, because you're talking to crew all the time, and that isn't necessarily, public speaking as such, standing up in front of a crowd of people, but it gives you the confidence.
You know, it helps you to put your words in the right way all of those things. And actually, sometimes, as a production manager or line producer, you are standing in front of the whole crew, asking them to give an hour of overtime, rather than them going home and having dinner with their family. So, all those things come in useful. Yeah, it's very good.
Annie Little
I'm just writing it down, Suz, I'm going to put that down for my next bursary. I think that's a great one.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
I'm sorry Annie, you're a graduate of the programme. No more bursaries for you!
It is a good use, though, because a lot of people don't understand what they can use a bursary for, and we can use them for loads of different examples. You don't think public speaking, but yeah, it's leadership skills. And we’re looking for future leaders on the programme. So, something like that…
Annie Little
Well, the thing is, when you've got, when you're doing it for 3 years, you could… there's only so much makeup or hair products you really want to buy, and you have to really branch out and be smart about it. You know, look at yourself because Leaders of Tomorrow really is about self-development.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
Yeah, it is. It is about self-development, because you have to work on yourself to become a great leader. It starts with you, doesn't it? So, brilliant.
Well, we've now covered the programme and the experience, and also nominators as well, so we're just going to quickly talk about the application process, and the ideal applicants that we look for. And any final tips as well from Annie and Suze, who… Annie was a past Leader of Tomorrow, and Suz has helped us in reading applications, so you'll get some tips from both sides of the application process, hopefully.
So, just to start, it is very simple to apply for Leaders of Tomorrow. You will be sent a link tomorrow when it goes live, the applications after 9 o'clock, some point in the morning, you'll receive an email. You will need to ScreenSkills account to apply. But no worries if you don't have one, you can do that while you do the application. Applications can be either written, video, or audio format. So, please contact us if you do have any accessibility requirements above this, or if you have any problems with the application, I'll give you the email at the end.
For those that are successful, just to let you know, there is one further stage for Leaders of Tomorrow, which is a virtual interview with a member of the High-end TV team, most likely me, and also an industry professional, which you'll be told about beforehand.
The application questions, they're not trick questions, they're just to find out about you and your career and your goals. We want to find out all about you on what you want out of the next 3 to 5 years of your career. Spelling and grammar do not form any part of the application process, so don't worry about that. We get a lot of questions on that every year. We ask the questions that we do to determine those that are the best fit for the ethos and the aim of the programme. And that is to encourage representation within senior leadership roles. So, the questions are all based around that.
So, our ideal candidates, they are passionate about being a good leader. They're working well within their teams, and they have an interest and drive to change culture within the industry. So, we're looking for people that are proactive and are committed, because Annie said, it is a three-year program. It is a long time to keep that drive, to keep engaged. It takes a lot of effort, and as I said, it's a lot of personal growth, so you have to put in the effort and there's an understanding from the candidates that you get what you put in. But also, naturally, there are peaks and troughs. Over the 3 years, just like the freelance experience. This is a freelance programme, you know, a lot can happen in 3 years.
So, now we've gone over, like, our ideal applicants and everything. Annie, do you have any tips for people applying for Leaders of Tomorrow?
Annie Little
Yeah, I'd say be honest. Be honest about what you want to get from the programme. Because they're going to read the application and, don't say what you think they want to hear, because if you're accepted everything is sort of guided around the application, and if you're not, you haven't been honest, you're just leading yourself up some garden path that you don't want to be up.
So be honest, you know, if there's things that you need to work on within yourself, and you'd love the programme to support you, then, you know, say that. It is 3 years, and like Aleysha says, there are peaks and troughs, so it doesn't mean just because you're on the programme, it's like you're, it's, you know, racing to the top.
Sometimes it might feel you're not getting anywhere, you know, it's all about your self-motivation. And what you put in is what you get out. Think about your nominator, and it should be somebody that really knows you and knows the direction that you want to go into, that they can advocate for you. As well, on your application, advocate for yourself, you're the best person… tell them why you want this, and what it means to you.
When we applied, we had no precedent, really, but I can't say it's any different, the application from then to now. I think it's probably just the same. Probably, if not harder, you know. You are being in competition with other people, but I think go for it, absolutely go for it, and be honest. And think, if you can, about where you see yourself in 3 or 4 years' time, and let that sort of guide you.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
I completely agree with the honesty. Some of our best applications have been incredibly honest, positive and negative about themselves, because that's part of personal growth. So yeah, definitely honesty is the best policy, because then we can help you. If you get onto the programme we know exactly what it is that you need, and we can just go straight away and help you out. Suz, any top tips?
Suz Reid
So, obviously I've read a lot of applications over the years… and I think when somebody tells me I have to fill out an application, my brain immediately goes blank and I can't think of anything to write about myself or anything so I understand that.
What I would say is, if you do struggle with the written words and can't think about it, then you can do a video. And actually, I watched quite a few videos when I was reading applications last year, and it really helped a lot. So, if you're not good with written words – I'm not, I really struggle to write – then do a video. Or I think you can do, like, sound. You can do, like, a voice recording thing, can't you? So think about doing that.
But what I'm looking for when I'm reading applications is, I want to see people's personality in their application. I want to see their passion for the industry that they're working in, their passion for the department that they're working in. I want to see what they want to happen in the future for the industry. For themselves, for their teams, for the industry overall. So, it's like, think about those things, and don't think about it as an application. Think about it as writing an essay or something like that, and they don't need to be long. But I do like to see some personality and some passion for the industry in there.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
Yeah, definitely. Our Leaders of Tomorrow are full of personality, all totally different as well, which is what we, you know, we want everybody to be authentically themselves, because that's what we want from our future leadership in the industry. You know, it's not feel like you have to cover up who you are. You are you. And you're an asset to an industry. Which is definitely [important]. Well, thank you so much for your top tips. Hopefully, people will find them useful when the applications go live tomorrow.
I'm just going to quickly go over the eligibility for Leaders of Tomorrow. Everything I'm going to say is all on the website. So eligibility and things like that are already on the website, so you can go and check out lots of information on there before it goes live tomorrow.
But just to go over the eligibility. So, applicants have got to have at least two high-end TV credits, to be working mid-level freelance. This isn't an entry program, this is for people who have been in the industry for a while. You've got to be a freelancer – you can't be working in-house anywhere – working below the line within high-end TV productions. And we don't accept producers, writers, or directors for Leaders of Tomorrow. You can be working in scripted or unscripted.
You got to be living and working in the UK. We accept applications from all parts of the United Kingdom, and lots of different departments as well. So, when you go to apply, you'll be able to see which departments we're accepting this year. You need to be nominated by a senior industry professional, as I said, a head of department, a producer, line producer, somebody of a senior level in the industry. And also, you need to be available for the in-person launch dates in London, which is Monday the 26th and Tuesday the 27th of January 2026, where we will unleash the new cohort to the world which is always a very exciting two days.
So, we're going to go to some questions now. I've been sent some questions that have popped up the most, so…. Applications, how long are they open for? So, they open tomorrow, and they're open for approximately 6 weeks. So it's a long process, so you can take your time with the application. So, they close on the 17th of August.
Again, all of this will be on the website tomorrow. What else have we got? Suz, might as well send this to you. I work in-house, can I apply?
Suz Reid
No. Unfortunately, the programme is for freelancers only, who are working at mid-level, so if you are working in-house, unfortunately, you cannot apply.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
And the same [again] – directors, producers, writers, is a programme for them?
Suz Reid
No, unfortunately, and every year when I'm reading applications, there's some brilliant applications from directors, producers, and writers. And unfortunately, you know, I can't put them through. So, unfortunately not.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
If anybody is on this call and produces, there is a co-producers programme. Do go on the website. We do have a link to it on the Leaders of Tomorrow page. So go check that out as well. Right, how are applications judged? So this is a question we get a lot.
So, applications are read by a small team of industry professionals. And they score all the answers individually on each application. And then the highest score in written, video, audio applications will then be selected for interview. People who are not successful will be sent an email at that point saying, unfortunately, you've not been successful.
And the next stage, as I said, is a virtual interview, and that is the final stage. There's only two, just the application and the interview. And that will be with a ScreenSkills manager and a senior industry professional as well.
Right, next question. If my application is unsuccessful, can I get feedback? So, due to the amount of applications we get for Leaders of Tomorrow we don't provide written feedback for if you don't make it through to interview. However, if a candidate does come through to a video interview, then we can supply feedback. So, anybody who gets through to the interview but doesn't get accepted, they will get an email offering them feedback, if they would like it. So we'll be in touch.
Right, next one. Do applicants on the programme get sent details of high-end TV productions in their area?
So, no, you won't. So, the High-end TV team, we cannot pass on any production information to participants, and that includes names of production staff, heads of department, production names, or working dates, so we're not allowed to pass that on. But we do send every single Leader of Tomorrow, every time a production pays into the High-end TV Skills Fund, they get a link to your profiles. So, they can come and headhunt you. So, they receive everybody that is eligible for the programme.
Can participants use funding for placements for roles on feature films? No, so the High-end TV Leaders of Tomorrow programme is paid for by the High-end TV Skills Fund, so it's only eligible high-end TV productions. Some features are made by streamers, and some of them pay into the High-end TV Skills Fund to receive the tax break. In that case, it would be eligible, but we walk through this with all participants when they join the programme, so it's always worth them asking, just in case. And so, yeah, some films, but normally by streamers.
Are placements at a certain length of time, or at a set rate? Every single placement is different. A placement could be shadowing a HOD for two weeks, or it could be doing second unit days, or it could be a complete jump up for, like, a six-month contract. It completely depends on the Leader of Tomorrow and the production. We discuss all of that directly with the production and the participant at the specific time. But it's still led by the Leader of Tomorrow as a freelance contract. So, the Leader of Tomorrow goes off and finds their own placements and they discuss things like rates, kit, box, all that sort of stuff, as part of their contract, and then the scheme is just on top of that. So, it is very much led by the Leader of Tomorrow. We don't dictate rates, we don't tell productions how to spend their money. It's all led on independent discussions between the Leader of Tomorrow and their specific production. So, it's quite hard to talk about placements, because it is very, very flexible.
What does the training cover under Leaders of Tomorrow? So, the programme offers regular virtual training. All of our Leaders of Tomorrow are all over the UK, so we reflect this a lot of our training is virtual. Some recent examples: we've had freelancer finances, we've had successful negotiation training, mental health awareness, leadership and management is also a very popular one. And we chop and change these every year with feedback coming in, or any industry change.
But the sessions for training that we provide mainly focus on building participant confidence and leadership skills. So, the soft skills that people wouldn't necessarily pay for with funding, that's what we hone in on, all this leadership, confidence, self-awareness, and self-development. And at least twice a year as well, there is the opportunity for in-person training sessions as well. So, we pay for travel and accommodation expenses from those that are traveling. So, there is an opportunity to see your cohort, be with them in person, and do some training, like, as Annie said, group coaching is something that we offer as well. And so, we offer lots in the training department.
Are there any more questions? I'm going to open up the chat function. Don't think we've got any more, let’s have a look. I think that might have covered it. Let me just double check. Cool. That seems like that's it.
So, thank you, everybody. That brings us to the end of our webinar, a little bit earlier than we expected, but it's all good. So, thanks for attending. The reminder is: tomorrow, the applications go live. You will receive an email from coming to this. Oh, wait, there. I just had a message that we might have another one. I'll just do this bit anyway.
So, the application's gone live, they close on the 17th of August and all the information that we've covered tonight is also on the Leaders of Tomorrow hub online, so you can read it at your own pace. And also, there's an opportunity to see our current cohorts. You can go see their ScreenSkills profiles, what they're doing, read our testimonials and things like that. And if you have any additional questions or any accessibility requirements with your application, please email the team at leadersoftomorrow@screenskills.com. Again, the email is on the website.
So I just had a message saying, is shadowing paid? Yes, shadowing can be paid as part of placement process. Again, that's discussed with production, but yes, shadowing can be paid as part of the programme.
Brilliant! Well, thank you so much, Annie and Suz, for chatting with us all things Leaders of Tomorrow.
Annie Little
You’re welcome.
Suz Reid
Thanks so much.
Aleysha Minns-McGrath
Thank you, and thank you everyone for attending. Look out for your emails tomorrow when the applications go live. Thank you!
Suz Reid
Good luck, everybody!
Annie Little
Best of luck, go for it!