Enhancing on-the-job opportunities and advancement for young individuals within the film, television, and video game sectors
In a groundbreaking report, authors Heather Carey, Lesley Giles, Dan Wilks, and Aline Collins have laid out a blueprint for policymakers and the UK's Film, TV, Radio, and Games sectors to better support disadvantaged young people. The report, conducted by Work Advance and funded by Creative PEC and Mission 44, focuses on the UK's Film, TV, Radio, and Games Industries.
The report highlights the need for improved collaboration between the public and private sectors to create clear pathways into employment. This collaboration could be strengthened through partnerships between government employability services and industry recruiters, similar to the successful Restart scheme that has placed over 2,000 long-term unemployed people since 2021.
A key concern raised in the report is the shrinking number of entry-level openings in the UK creative job market. This scarcity exacerbates difficulties in gaining initial industry experience, with job vacancies falling 5.8% recently. To address this, the report advocates for improving access to vocational and creative skills training, including placements and bursaries to offset financial costs.
Financial constraints are another significant barrier for disadvantaged youths. Economic hardship restricts their ability to afford training, materials, or unpaid internships, keeping them from building their portfolios and networks essential for careers in film, TV, radio, and games. The report calls for expanding and well-publicizing existing bursaries and fellowships, such as those from Creative Access and the Supporting Act Foundation.
Young creatives also face insecure and precarious work conditions that disproportionately affect youth. The report proposes new policies to ban precarious work, protecting young entrants from unstable employment conditions and helping ensure all jobs are "good jobs".
The report also emphasizes the need to improve career awareness. Only around 54% of 18-24 year-olds recognize the creative industries' economic importance, indicating a need for better career education and outreach to raise awareness and aspiration.
Nearly 200 equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) schemes were identified across the creative industries, with 118 focused on the screen sector. However, the report found gaps in provision, particularly for care experienced young people or those excluded from school, and interventions limited by short-term funding, a one-size-fits-all-approach, being too London-centric, or lacking evaluation evidence.
The report presents nine recommendations for the screen and games industries, and for policymakers, including a call for the industries to think differently about the way they offer support for young people. The report also expresses a concern that any new scheme, regardless of its good intentions, adds to a crowded set of interventions.
The worldwide exports of creative goods exceeded 500 billion USD in 2015, with a 150% increase since 2000. The report aims to explore the definition of 'good jobs' within these sectors, the accessibility of these opportunities for disadvantaged young people, and the barriers they face in progressing in work. The report does not focus on the impact of overseas mergers and acquisitions on the UK video games industry or post-Brexit migration and accessing foreign talent in the Creative Industries. It also does not mention any specific recommendations for the Creative Industries regarding migrant and skills needs.
- To support disadvantaged young people in the UK's Film, TV, Radio, and Games sectors, the report suggests strengthening collaboration between the public and private sectors, creating clear pathways into employment.
- The Report conducted by Work Advance and funded by Creative PEC and Mission 44 advocates for improved access to vocational and creative skills training, such as placements and bursaries.
- Financial constraints are recognized as a significant barrier for disadvantaged youths, and the report calls for expanding and well-publicizing existing bursaries and fellowships to offset financial costs.
- The report proposes new policies to ban precarious work, protecting young entrants from unstable employment conditions and ensuring all jobs are "good jobs".
- Career awareness needs improvement, with only around 54% of 18-24 year-olds recognizing the creative industries' economic importance.
- The report identifies nearly 200 equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) schemes across the creative industries, but expresses concern about gaps in provision, particularly for care experienced young people.
- To progress in their careers, young creatives need a sustainable approach to education and self-development, career development, and job-search support.
- The worldwide exports of creative goods exceeded 500 billion USD in 2015, but the report focuses on the accessibility of these opportunities for disadvantaged young people and the barriers they face in progressing in work.
- The report suggests that the screen and games industries, and policymakers, should think differently about their support for young people and be mindful of adding to a crowded set of interventions.
- The report does not focus on the impact of overseas mergers and acquisitions on the UK video games industry, post-Brexit migration, accessing foreign talent in the Creative Industries, or specific recommendations for the Creative Industries regarding migrant and skills needs.
