Broadcasters form collaboration to target UK-based production management skills gaps

The BBC, Channel 4, Paramount and UKTV have confirmed a partnership to create solutions for the current production management skills gap facing the UK TV industry.“Production management is a vital and long undervalued part of our industry and the skills gap in this area impacts us all," Richard Watsham, Director of Commissioning, UKTV, said. "It’s something we should take seriously, acting swiftly to rectify. The essential funding announced today will help, but we must continue to monitor progress and take further action as appropriate to ensure the incredible creativity of British production is protected.”       

The broadcasters contributing to the initiative are each creating a specific Production Management Skills Fund, intended to increase the volume of production management skills and capacity in the sector. The intention is to diminish the short-term strain in production management and help build a longer-term team of creatives. The boradcasters have committed to investing £1 million over the next year. Line producers, production managers and production coordinators are crucial to the success of the UK creative industries, but are regularly cited as one of the most difficult roles for independent production companies to recruit to. In addition to this acute skills gap, there is increasing demand given the growth of productions in the UK and the increased requirements on production management such as managing COVID protocols and albert certification.“Production management is a highly-skilled and vital part of our industry," David Pembrey, Chief Operating Officer, BBC Content, said. "We want this funding to make a positive difference to productions who we know are managing increased requirements – as well as help develop the next generation of production management talent.” 

Production companies will be able to draw on the PM Skills Fund to support additional roles - including: A step up role for a more junior production manager or coordinator to work alongside and learn from a more experienced role. Transferring to a mid-level role for someone with transferable skills from another industry (e.g. event or theatre management). The participating broadcasters will use their PM Skills Funds to contribute at least 50% of the salaries of these additional roles for the duration of a production.  The purpose of the roles is to add production management capacity overall and help producers with the financial challenge of addressing current compliance requirements. In addition, it helps expand the future pool of line producers and production management talent across the sector. “As a former production manager myself, I know that PMs and PCs are at the heart of a production and integral to its success," Clare Brown, Controller Production Finance, Channel 4 said. "Funded from 4Skills, this fund will help to develop and sustain that production management talent pool which is so critical to the continued growth of production in the UK.”

The broadcaster investment would correlate with existing production management training in the sector and create a pipeline of opportunities for new recruits. Each broadcaster will flex their approach in line with their own process, budgets, and strategic priorities and will distribute their money separately. This funding will be available from April 2022. As well as the PM Skills Fund, these broadcasters have agreed to collaborate on outreach and engagement, working with other relevant industry organisations to market production management as a career. “Production Managers are vital to our industry; content can’t be created without finding and retaining top-class production management talent," Nan Whittingham, Vice President, Production UK, Paramount, said. "This dedicated initiative is a major priority for us, and we’re delighted to work with our broadcast partners on it. It will support Paramount’s own learning, development, and skills gaps funding as announced by Ben Frow last year.”