Arolwg o Weithlu'r Diwydiannau Clyweledol 2005
More than two thirds of media professionals are graduates, according to new research. Sixty-nine percent of people working in the media have a degree, compared to 16% of the UK workforce as a whole. Forty-four percent are media graduates while 56% have a degree in other subjects.
Almost 7,000 people working in the media participated in the survey by Skillset, the Sector Skills Council for the audio visual industries. It reveals that 62% of the workforce is male; 38% have done unpaid work during their careers; and that 70% got their first job via informal routes such as contacts.
Those working in the audio visual industries are relatively young compared with the wider UK workforce. Nearly half are under 35 and only 15% aged over 50, whereas 36% of the wider UK workforce are under 35 and 26% are fifty-plus. Furthermore, there are proportionally more older men than older women in the audio visual industries, compared to the wider UK workforce - but proportionally more younger women than younger men. Forty-five percent of female audio visual workers are aged 25-34, compared to 37% of men in this age group, while 18% of men are aged 50 or over - compared with only 10% of women.
Despite the existing high levels of qualification among the workforce, the survey also highlights the need for significant training in order to meet the skills demands of an industry characterised by change - particularly recent cutting-edge advances in technology. Two thirds (62%) reported a training need - primarily in order to stay up to date with or improve current work (60%) and to develop new technical skills (49%). Of those who sought training, 84% reported experiencing barriers, such as finding fees too high (42%), and difficulty assessing the quality of training (34%).
Dinah Caine, Chief Executive of Skillset, said: "Continually improving and adding to your portfolio of skills is an absolute necessity for people working in this industry. The speed of change - technically, editorially, commercially - is breathtaking, and to achieve career longevity people have to keep their skills up to date. As the results reflect, this can be expensive and time consuming. The industry, through Skillset, is addressing these issues by funding discounted short courses and by highlighting quality training through our accreditation schemes. The industry has prioritised skills, recognising that the talent of the workforce will greatly determine its future success."
Media professionals work on average 44.6 hours a week earning a mean salary of £32,239pa. This compares to a national average of 33.8 hours and £24,300 for the UK workforce as a whole. However, the survey also shows that the majority of the media industries are based in London and the South East where the average salary and working week is £33,867pa and 44.9 hours.
Martin Spence, Bectu, said: "The results debunk some of the glamorous myths about working in media. The hours are long and although on face value the average salary looks high, when you consider the costs of living and working in London, which most media professionals do, it's not a huge income."
The survey also shows nearly a quarter of respondents earned less than £20K in the past 12 months. Thirty-eight per cent also reported doing unpaid work during their career. More than a third earn between £30,000 and £49,999 and a further 11% earn £50k+. However, it remains a difficult industry to both break into and progress within - only 27% heard about their most recent job through a traditional recruitment route such as an advertisement.
Estelle Morris, President of Skillset's Patrons, said: "A reliance on contacts and nepotism has adversely affected the diverse make up of the workforce, as shown in Skillset's survey. It's always going to be a people business and contacts will always play a part in a person's career but, although the industry is waking up to the problem, it needs to introduces more formal recruitment methods if any meaningful change is to happen."
Download the full report below. 
Survey of the Audio Visual Industries Workforce 2005
For further information about the study please contact the author Catherine Godward at: catherineg@skillset.org or on: 020 7713 9828.
For press enquiries please contact Rajiv Maharaj at: rajivm@skillset.org or on: 020 7713 9812.
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