Film and TV apprenticeships launched as new Charter pledges greater diversity in Creative Industries

BritFlix Buzz, Film, TV
  • Film and TV apprenticeships pilot announced as new figures show booming job growth across the Creative Industries
  • New industry-led diversity charter to drive a step change across all creative sectors

Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright has announced a new apprenticeships pilot scheme to enable young people from underrepresented groups to work on some of the most hotly-anticipated films and TV programmes made in the UK.

Visiting the set of the new James Bond film at the internationally-renowned Pinewood Studios, the Secretary of State also signalled his support for a new Creative Industries Council (CIC) Charter designed to drive greater diversity across the UK’s Creative Industries.

DCMS Secretary of State Jeremy Wright said:

The UK is a powerhouse for award-winning creativity enjoyed by millions globally. But our Creative Industries cannot remain the preserve of the privileged, which is why we are helping to create new opportunities to develop a more diverse workforce.

I welcome the Creative Industries Council’s Diversity Charter and also call for firm commitments from major studios, both in the UK and worldwide, to adopt the BFI’s pioneering Diversity Standards. Companies must provide opportunities for young people from all backgrounds to go as far as their talents take them in this thriving sector.

Building on calls by the CIC and ScreenSkills, DCMS has committed £100,000 to help deliver the innovative Film and TV Apprenticeships pilot which will enable around 25 apprentices to benefit from hands-on experience on the sets of major films and TV shows.

It will explore a new model for how high-quality apprenticeships can be used to deliver multiple placements on film and TV productions, as well as addressing skills shortages.

The pilot will launch in late 2019 with recruitment focussed on young people from all backgrounds and without previous relevant qualifications.

The CIC Charter commits the industry to take action in eight areas to create a more diverse workforce and output that appeals to people from all backgrounds and regions of the UK. It has been formally adopted by the Council, which is made up of leading figures across the Creative Industries including TV, computer games, fashion, music, arts, publishing and film.

The industry-wide pledge builds on a range of initiatives in place across creative sub-sectors including the BFI’s Diversity Standards aimed specifically at the screen industries.

Jeremy Wright has also urged US and UK film studios to follow the example of Paramount and do more to improve diversity in the screen industries by adopting the BFI’s Standards for every current and future production made in the UK.

His visit comes as Pinewood launches its new Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Strategy, with a commitment to encourage all future productions to take up the BFI’s Standards.

New figures show the number of jobs in the Creative Industries sectors stood at just over 2 million in 2018, an increase of 1.6% from 2017 and accounting for 6.2% of all UK jobs. The number of jobs in the Creative Industries has increased by 30.6% from 2011: three times the growth rate of employment in the UK overall.