ScreenSkills HETV Fund shows Covid resilience
Screenskills’ High-End TV Fund received £3.3m in industry contributions in 2020/2021, compared with £3.9m the previous year, illustrating a robust bounceback for the production industry despite a hiatus of more than three months last year due to Covid.
The contributions are invested in skills and training, to deliver workforce growth and upskilling in the high-end TV sector in accordance with priorities identified by working groups of industry professionals.
Kaye Elliott, ScreenSkills director of high-end television, said: “It is a testament to the value industry places on the skills and training we provide, that contributions bounced back even though it was a very challenging year.
“We were able to deliver a relatively successful year of training given the circumstances, which has been much needed as production returned with gusto and production is now at levels not experienced before.”
Investment from the HETV Fund supported 1,881 people with training and career development in the year to March 2021, with a tranche of activity moved rapidly online. This was in addition to 56,000 people in the same period who undertook the online coronavirus basic awareness on production training, designed to support safe working in the context of Covid-19. Training placements resumed only when it was safe and possible to do so.
Nearly 100 individuals were supported to step up to a more senior role or grade through the Make a Move programme as well as grade shortage programmes, including in craft and tech shortage areas and producers, accountants, production managers, line producers, script editors and locations.
The Trainee Finder trainee programme worked with 156 trainees, of whom 66% were women, 20% Black, Asian or minority ethnic, 68% from the nations and regions, 21% LGBT and 12% disabled.
Working groups have met in recent weeks to decide investment priorities for the coming year using the contributions from 104 productions in 2020/21 including Bridgerton, Call the Midwife, Death in Paradise, Sex Education, The Pursuit of Love, King Gary and Ted Lasso.
Bridgerton image via Netflix.
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