RTS Futures turned the spotlight on TV’s diversity – or lack of it – at its final event of the year where a panel of young Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) talent revealed their struggles and triumphs in the industry.
The panel was drawn from Broadcast’s 26 BAME Hot Shots of 2015, which the magazine announced in August.
It is the best of times: the television business is booming. It is the worst of times: there is a skill shortage, so wage costs are soaring. Yet shouldn’t that make it the best of times again? Won’t television be forced to find and train a new generation of programme-makers who won’t all be white and middle class? This, I tell Seetha Kumar, the ambitious chief executive of ScreenSkills, is a battle she can win.
Creative Skillset has launched a Film Accounts trainee scheme to help new entrants kick-start a career in film production.
The scheme is seeking individuals who are as equally passionate about numbers as they are about film.
Responding to industry demand for skilled accounts personnel, a bespoke programme has been created, in partnership with Production Guild, to provide introductory training for numerate individuals eager for a freelance career in the accounting side of filmmaking.
The unification will aim to create a stronger partnership between the two skills and talent development organisations.
Richard Johnston, CEO of Endemol Shine UK and Creative Skillset’s Chair, commented, “Our TV and related sectors are thriving and in order to maintain our world leading position, generating huge value for the wider economy, a coherent and targeted skills strategy is essential.
The writers will receive access to broadcasters and commissioners to encourage new and inclusive talent, as well as one-to-one mentoring, training and seminars throughout the twelve month paid programme.
TriForce Creative Network, with Creative Skillset and the High-end TV Levy, opened submissions for The TCN Writers Incubator earlier this year to offer television writing talent the chance to further their skills with a year-long paid programme.
Industry experts evaluated attendees's resumes at the CV clinics to show them how to make theirs stand out from the rest.
If you couldn't make the event, or you want to relive it, this video includes the highlights of everything you missed.
The new Creative Skillset Series Producer Programme is open for applications, offering the opportunity to make the leap from Producer to Series Producer.
Backed by the BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5, this year-long scheme will find the next generation of SPs to help the industry advance and grow.
The cohort all have a rich background in the media. They include former CBBC presenter Marvyn Benoit who is now at Sky factual and Ninder Billing who is working in factual at Channel 5. Billing was previously an Executive Producer for a CBBC programme, which has recently been nominated for an RTS award.
According to Creative Skillset's workforce survey, released in May, the proportion of disabled people in television is still much lower than in the economy as a whole and has not improved for 10 years.
Just 5% of those who work in TV consider themselves to be disabled, compared with 11% of the wider working population.
Comprising over 1,100 respondents, the poll is the largest survey of skills and training issues of individuals working across television.
The Creative Diversity Network (CDN) and Creative Skillset have called for the TV industry to improve the representation of disabled people in television.
According to Creative Skillset's workforce survey, released in May, the proportion of disabled people in television is still much lower than in the economy as a whole and has not improved for 10 years.
Just 5% of those who work in TV consider themselves to be disabled, compared with 11% of the wider working population.
