Skillset's response to an all-party House of Lords Select Committee on Communications report, The British film and television industries - decline or opportunity?, which was published earlier today (January 25, 2010).

Skillset Chief Executive Dinah Caine said: "Skillset very much welcomes the fact that the House of Lords has given proper recognition to the significant training and skills issues facing the British film and television industries.

"The Committee is absolutely right in its assessment that one of the major strengths of the British film and television industries is their highly skilled workforce. Skillset wholeheartedly agrees that a reduction in training budgets and patchy training provision is against the long term interests of the industries. It is essential that our current and future workforce is fully equipped to remain a world leader in film and television.

"Skillset welcomes the Committee's recognition of our role, in particular our efforts to promote dialogues between education and training providers and the industry."

Skillset broadly supports the Committee's recommendations, including:

• The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills should encourage the Higher Education Funding Council to deploy some of its funding to support high-level, post-graduate training in the postproduction and animation sectors;
• The Higher Education and Funding Council should encourage closer relationships between universities and the creative industries;
• Skillset's work on a code of conduct for internships. We are encouraged by the Committee's support and we will soon be able to publish Guidelines for the industry that cover apprenticeships and other on-the-job training, as well as internships;
• The film and television industries should provide more equal access to training and skills-based career development through greater use of apprenticeships and graduate internships;
• Welcoming the continuing role played by the BBC and the BBC's willingness to make its training more widely available through the launch of the BBC Academy;
• Understanding the current pressures on the budgets of UK commercial public service broadcasters, but highlighting that a reduction in training budgets threatens the future competitiveness of the UK television industry and urging the Government to encourage them to revive their investment in training;
• Regret that the UK Film Council should be forced to reduce significantly its funding for training for the next three years, at a time when training should be a priority. Skillset backs the Committee's call for the Government to make sure that the UK Film Council is adequately funded to allow it at least to restore its former level of support for training;
• Accepting that in an industry so dependent on freelance working and informal training, there is an urgent need to clarify the uncertainty around statutory definitions of training and asking the industry regulator to take a long term view.
• Welcoming Ofcom proposals to develop co-operation within the regulatory framework for training in TV and recommending Ofcom to publish guidance to clarify the roles of the organisations involved."

Media enquiries

Skillset press and PR manager Jennifer Walters: Phone - 0207 713 9854, email: jenniferw@skillset.org

Skillset press and PR officer Nicholas Sheridan - phone: 020 7713 9854, email: nicks@skillset.org

Out-of-hours: 07827 989 330.

Notes to Editors:

• The report The British film and television industries - decline or opportunity? is available from The Stationery Office, House of Lords Communications Committee, 1st report of 2009/10, HL Paper 37. It is also available online at: http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/communications.cfm
• Skillset's 22 Media Academies are a UK-wide network of higher education institutions that have undergone rigorous assessment by professionals from within the creative media industries. They are centres of excellence that provide education and training of the highest standard. They offer practical, industry-focused training to their students in order to best prepare them for entry into the workforce.
• Skillset is the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for Creative Media which comprises TV, film, radio, interactive media, animation, computer games, facilities, photo imaging and publishing. SSCs are licensed by the UK Government and by Ministers in the devolved administrations to tackle the skills and productivity challenge by sector. They are independent, UK-wide organisations, are employer-led, and actively involve trade unions, professional bodies and other stakeholders in the industry.

Skillset, Focus Point, 21 Caledonian Road, London, N1 9GB. Tel: 020 7713 9800