Film industry backs mandatory levy to fund skills development
As film tax incentives and cutting edge studio facilities and equipment become commonplace in countries worldwide, the UK industry must ensure it maintains and enhances its reputation for excellence in production skills, exploiting this reputation for commercial advantage in an increasingly competitive global market.
Skills needs change rapidly in an industry at the forefront of technological advances making continual development of the workforce vital.
Film production is made up mostly of freelancers with irregular working patterns adding to the difficulty in accessing tailored and often expensive skills development.
The SIF (Skills Investment Fund) levy on film production is collected by Skillset to support the professional development of those working in production.
Production companies are asked to contribute 0.5% of their total production budget to the SIF levy, up to a maximum of £39,500. Since its introduction in 1999 over £4m has been contributed to the voluntary levy from over 322 productions ranging from big budget blockbusters such as Casino Royale and Harry Potter to smaller features such as Shaun of the Dead.
The money raised by the SIF levy is invested in the professional development of the production workforce by Skillset supporting everyone from the carpenter who builds the set to the designer who dresses it and the camera operator who shoots it.
So far the fund has supported:
- over 250 new entrant production trainees on 18 month structured placement schemes;
- more than 650 bursaries for individual film practitioners to access training relevant to their job roles;
- subsidised courses, seminars and masterclasses for over 3,500 people across the industry.
The industry has now agreed that the levy should be made compulsory with the establishment of the Skillset Industry Training Board (ITB), the first ITB to be created in more than 15 years.
Mandatory status for the levy is a sign of the commitment of the UK film industry to investing in the development of its workforce and will ensure that existing and future UK filmmakers possess the skills needed to excel and help the industry compete internationally.
There is a vast array of job roles and skills requirements across the film production sector. The money raised by the levy is invested by Skillset in industry-identified priority areas.
The UK Film Council delegates £6.5million of Lottery money to Skillset, which together with the money raised from the industry by the levy forms the Film Skills Fund. This then funds the UK film industry's Sector Skills Agreement - A Bigger Future, which has been developed by Skillset and the UK Film Council, working closely with employers.
Flexibility is vital in responding to changing needs which is why the skills strategy includes an ongoing research programme to provide accurate intelligence and forecasting to enable the industry to anticipate and address emerging skills gaps.
No other national film industry in the world has set in place such a comprehensive skills strategy. The impact on competitiveness should be profound.
Phil Hope MP, Minister for Lifelong Learning said, "We know the film industry consistently produces creative and technical talent that can compete with the very best in the world. This new initiative will ensure the investment in training is there to support and retain this workforce and encourage more talented young people to fulfil their potential."
