Creative Skillset has said more needs to be done to provide a visible range of paid career paths and opportunities for new talent to enter the television industry.

The announcement comes after Creative Skillset's Workforce Survey found that over half of the TV workforce found their current position through informal networks and unpaid work periods are still common in TV.

Comprising over 1,100 respondents, it is the largest skills survey of TV professionals and provides a real insight into the recruitment, working patterns, training needs and pay of those working in the sectors.

Crucially, the results highlighted a considerable social economic gap between those working in TV and the wider workforce.

Nearly three quarters of respondents in TV are educated to degree level, the highest level since the survey began and more than double the average for the wider UK working population.

Moreover, 15% attended an independent, fee-paying school compared with just 7% of the general population.

With just 2% of the creative workforce having entered the industry via an apprenticeship, and 46% of respondents having done unpaid work at some point, the opportunities for those from disadvantaged backgrounds seem few and far between.

"If our industries are to prosper, grow and reflect the markets they work in they need to up their game," says Creative Skillset Chief Executive Dinah Caine CBE.

"They need to open up paid entry routes and ensure that freelancers in particular are able to access affordable training and development."

Read more about the Creative Skillset's Workforce Survey results here.