ScreenSkills recently partnered with 4Skills, Channel 4’s nationwide training and development programme, to produce a new study into the UK's screen workforce and paint a picture of what it may look like in the future.
Sizing Up: Forecasting the Screen Workforce profiles the current film, television, animation, children's, VFX and post-production workforce, whilst also providing a three-year forecast for those working behind the scenes across the UK screen industry.
We caught up with Kevin Blacoe, Head of Channel 4’s Partnerships & Skills, to see what the findings mean for the screen industry and those working in it.
The report shows an increase in large-scale film and HETV productions, while overall production number has decreased. What opportunities and challenges do you think represents?
The increase in large-scale film and high-end television is positive because it demonstrates the UK's continued attractiveness as a global production centre. These productions create significant employment, support regional production hubs and help develop world-class skills across the workforce.
However, a healthy screen industry needs a diverse mix of productions. Smaller and mid-sized productions in unscripted and other genres are a key part of the industry, and often where people tend to gain their early career credits, develop specialist skills and progress into more senior roles. That's why continued investment in skills, career progression and workforce development is so important. We need to ensure that there is a balance of production types and the benefits of growth are felt across the whole production ecosystem.
AI is a hot topic across the production landscape. This report suggests it may affect up to 80% of production roles to varying degrees of impact by 2028. What measures can be taken to futureproof the workforce and ensure the industry retains talent?
The most important thing is to not view AI simply as a technology challenge. The industry's future success will depend on ensuring people understand how to adapt and work alongside new tools and technologies. AI will surface in many different aspects of production, and we need to embed AI literacy into training and professional development at every career stage, from new entrants through to experienced professionals. That includes understanding not only the opportunities AI presents, but also areas such as ethics, intellectual property, data security and responsible use.
But we should never lose sight of the fact that storytelling, creativity, editorial judgement, collaboration, communication, leadership and management remain fundamentally human skills. The workforce that thrives will be the one that combines those strengths with the ability to make effective use of emerging technologies. Futureproofing the workforce means prioritising continuous learning and creating opportunities for people to adapt as roles evolve, rather than waiting until skills gaps emerge.
What practices are in place, and what other measures would you like to be introduced to ensure we retain and develop talent more generally?
Channel 4 has prioritised its investment in skills and talent development through 4Skills, supporting people at different stages of their careers, from entry-level opportunities through to career progression programmes which have been a particular focus for us. Our Accelerate programme is specifically designed to support mid- and senior-level professionals outside London, helping experienced talent remain and progress within the Nations and Regions rather than feeling they need to relocate to advance their careers.
It would be a positive step to see an even stronger industry-wide focus on retention which includes more support for freelancers, greater access to flexible and modular training, clearer career pathways, and better data to identify emerging skills needs. Developing emerging talent will always be important, but retaining experienced people is equally critical if we want a resilient and competitive screen sector that is able to adapt and grow.
The report indicates the 250,000 strong workforce is operating at a 50% capacity. What would you suggest those in the industry do to stay actively employed?
This continues to be a challenging period for many freelancers and production professionals, but there are still opportunities to strengthen skills and broaden experience. One area is upskilling in emerging disciplines such as AI-enabled workflows, virtual production, VFX and post-production. The report also points towards areas of growth, including large-budget television and sectors where technology is rapidly changing production practices.
It's also important to think about transferable skills and this is an area we talk about with ScreenSkills and other industry partners regularly. Many screen industry professionals have expertise that can be applied across different genres, formats and adjacent creative sectors. Building a broader portfolio of experience can help people remain active while also strengthening their long-term career prospects.
What actions would you like to see come as a result of this report?
The most important outcome would be a wider industry-wide commitment to act on the evidence. The report gives a much clearer understanding of the size, shape and capacity of the workforce than we've ever had before. As an industry, we should use that insight to make more informed decisions about skills investment, workforce planning and career development.
In particular, a focus on retaining experienced talent, supporting progression opportunities, preparing the workforce for the impact of AI and ensuring people across the UK can access sustainable careers in screen are key.
Ultimately, the UK's competitive advantage isn't just its studios, technology or tax incentives. It's the strength of its people. If we can protect, develop and retain that talent, the industry will be well placed to seize future growth opportunities.