Broadcast News

Bookmark and Share
04/07/2019

ScreenSkills Supports Project To Unlock Apprenticeship Levy

News Image
ScreenSkills has welcomed a Government decision to back a pilot project originally developed by ScreenSkills to unlock the apprenticeship levy for the UK's screen industries.

Visiting the set of the new James Bond film, Jeremy Wright, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport joined ScreenSkills CEO Seetha Kumar to announce the project at Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire.

It responds to screen industry concerns that millions paid by film, television, visual effects (VFX) and animation companies into the Government scheme – mandatory for all with a wages bill in excess of £3 million - is currently unusable for many roles.

The pilot will work on the model of an apprentice training agency (ATA) where apprentices are employed by the agency and placed on multiple placements over the course of the 12-month programme.

This resolves the problem that many production companies cannot offer a 12-month apprenticeship contract – the legal minimum under apprenticeship levy rules – because of the project-based nature of film and television production where even large-scale productions employ few roles continuously for a year.

The ambition is to support around 25 apprentices during the pilot which will be designed to act as a proof of concept for a new model of how high quality apprenticeships can be delivered in the screen industries.

Seetha Kumar, ScreenSkills Chief Executive Officer, said: "We welcome the Government's move to working with us to unlock the apprenticeship levy for the screen industries.

"The opportunity to earn while you learn has huge potential to encourage new and diverse talent to join our booming film and television sector while tackling its skills needs. The pilot will provide an opportunity to stress-test a new approach to using levy funds to deliver high-quality training. There are many details to be addressed but we all agree it is important to find a way for the apprenticeship levy to support UK screen."

ScreenSkills has been working with industry and Government to encourage greater flexibilities in the apprenticeship levy system. The innovative apprenticeships pilot will enable industry employers to transfer available unspent levy funds in to the scheme. DCMS is investing £100,000 towards other costs.

The aim is to make sure that employers in project-based industries are no worse off financially than those in more traditional structures while the apprentice gets the full benefits of an apprenticeship including a minimum 20% off-the-job training.

www.screenskills.com
VMI.TV Ltd

Top Related Stories
Click here for the latest broadcast news stories.

23/01/2020
Netflix And Warner Bros To Partner With ScreenSkills
Netflix and Warner Bros. are to partner with ScreenSkills on an innovative pilot programme to enable more people to join the film and TV industries th
03/02/2023
Sky Partners With Multiverse
Sky has teamed up with the tech start-up Multiverse to gift £1 million of its unspent apprenticeship levy to organisations looking to develop digital,
08/02/2011
Skillset Apprenticeship Opens Up New Pathways
Skillset has joined forces with some of the UK's biggest broadcasters to pioneer a new pathway into the industry with the introduction of the advanced
11/02/2011
Creative Process Showcases Skillset Apprenticeship To Media Employers At BFI Event
London-based training provider, Creative Process, will be bringing together a range of the UK's most exciting media companies and young apprentices to
05/08/2021
ScreenSkills Welcomes 20 Apprentices
ScreenSkills, Netflix and WarnerMedia have welcomed a diverse cohort of 20 apprentices on to a pilot programme for apprenticeships in the UK's booming
26/02/2020
Apprentice Scheme In Post Production Launches
The UK government launched its Apprenticeship Levy in April 2017. For employers that spend £3million or more on payroll HMRC collects an additional 0.
08/08/2013
Creative Skillset Launches Level 6 Creative Apprenticeship
Creative Skillset has announced a recent collaboration with the BBC and the Universities of Salford and Birmingham City that saw the creation of the f
26/10/2010
Skillset Targets Creative Media in Wales
A new pathway into the highly competitive Creative Media Industries is being pioneering with the introduction of the Skillset Apprenticeship in Creati
07/10/2016
Framestore Launches VFX Apprenticeship
Framestore has launched an industry-wide VFX Apprenticeship scheme. A total of 10 apprentices have been placed in Junior 2D and Assistant Technical Di
27/01/2016
Bradford Uni Launches UK's First OB Postgraduate Apprenticeship
The University of Bradford, in partnership with Creative Skillset and the BBC, has developed the UK's first postgraduate apprenticeship programme for
05/08/2013
JAMES Launches Apprenticeship Scheme
JAMES (Joint Audio Media Education Support), has recently launched their Studio Apprenticeship Programme at Metropolis Studios, in association with Cr
07/11/2007
David Lammy Launches Advanced Apprenticeship In Media Production
The Minister for Skills David Lammy has visited the BBC in Manchester to officially launch the UK's first-ever Advanced Apprenticeship in Media Produc
15/06/2007
UK’S First TV Production Apprenticeship Offered In Northwest
Some of the biggest names in TV are offering twenty Northwest young people a unique opportunity - to break into the business and work behind the scene
23/08/2006
TV executives compete for 'apprenticeship' in Evolution production
Evolutions has completed the full post-production on the opening to the Edinburgh International Television Festival, which will be an unmissable versi
01/12/2004
New apprenticeship scheme for film camera grips launched
A new film industry apprenticeship scheme has been launched by Film & Television Freelance Training (FT2) to train four film camera grips on an 18-mon