ScreenSkills apprenticeship pilot enables three-quarters of apprentices to secure employment

Pilot demonstrated that apprenticeships are a viable career pathway for people from diverse, working class backgrounds

• 76% of apprentices in the pilot had already secured further employment by end of the programme
• 75% of apprentices would recommend a screen industries apprenticeship
• 85% of apprentices felt they were better prepared for employment
• 26% of apprentices were from working class backgrounds, higher than the general UK workforce^[1]
• ScreenSkills welcomes the Government’s proposal for a Growth and Skills Levy

 Between February 2022 and January 2024, ScreenSkills ran a flexi-job apprenticeship agency (FJAA) pilot programme with lead supporter Prime Video, Sky with APX Content Ventures, Banijay, Lime Pictures and Fremantle. The pilot, co-funded by the Department for Education in its first year, tested whether a limited agency-based apprenticeship model could be effective in the project-based film and TV production sector.

“Overall, this pilot has been a success and demonstrates that apprenticeships could be a credible career pathway, especially for candidates from diverse backgrounds. Not only did the majority of apprentices complete their training and subsequently swiftly secured further employment in the industry, but it also had an impact on them personally,” commented Laura Mansfield, CEO, ScreenSkills. “The UK screen industries is one of the most creative sectors in the world and talent, ability and creativity should not be defined by educational or social background. The pilot identified a number of areas for improvement which, if resolved, could make apprenticeships a viable option for anyone who wants a career in the sector.”

 During their training, the pilot enabled apprentices to gain significant experience across multiple companies and productions, and to identify and secure further employment. At the end of the pilot, 85% of the apprentices passed their End Point Assessments (EPA) and by the end of the programme 76% of the apprentices had already secured further employment. As well as contracts with Banijay, Fremantle and Lime Pictures, apprentices from the pilot secured further employment with 19 other production companies including Hat Trick, ITN, Mindhouse, Molinare and Studio Lambert.

 Apprentices’ feedback on their personal development during the programme has also been very positive. Three quarters said they would recommend an apprenticeship in the screen industries; 90 per cent said the programme improved their communication skills and 85 per cent that it had made them better prepared for employment. Additionally, the majority said that the training helped to build their confidence and their ability to work as part of a team.

 “Banijay UK was very excited to be invited to take part in the flexi apprenticeship pilot by ScreenSkills.  Apprenticeships should be a key pillar in upskilling the industry, providing opportunities and democratising opportunity within the industry.  We were lucky enough to have apprentices in key skills areas, production accounting and production management,” commented Bella Lambourne, Director of Human Resources and Operations, Banijay. “The training provided has enabled the apprentices to go to the next level and in some cases build entirely new careers with a professional qualification behind them that we hope will stand them in good stead for the rest of their careers.  Apprenticeships need to be as flexible as possible to work in the creative industries and this would not have been possible without the support of ScreenSkills.”

In the FJAA pilot, 26% of the apprentices were from working class backgrounds, which was higher than the percentage in the general UK workforce (23%)^[2]. Also, just over two-thirds of the apprentices were aged between 20 and 30 years of age, and almost 30 per cent transferred from full-time employment in other sectors.

 However, the pilot also highlighted areas for improvement. The flexi-job apprenticeship agency route is an expensive training model, with the partners having to meet additional costs beyond training alone in areas including apprentice wages during leave and training, recruitment, as well as the internal costs associated with the time intensive requirement of coordinating continuous and appropriate placements.

 The pilot also highlighted the need to improve both apprenticeship standards and the end point assessment process, to ensure that apprentices had the best opportunity to successfully complete training fully relevant to their job.

 ScreenSkills continues to believe that changes are necessary in specific areas. Not only would the changes deliver further benefits for both potential apprentices and employers, but they would enable apprenticeships to play an important role in addressing the sector’s skill shortages as well as improve inclusion and diversity. Therefore, ScreenSkills also welcomes the Government’s proposals for a Growth and Skills levy that would give companies greater flexibility in how they invest in skills and training.

 “Apprenticeships provide a real opportunity to improve the diversity of the workforce and bring different and existing new voices and perspectives into the industry,” concluded Laura Mansfield. “Furthermore, ScreenSkills welcomes the Government’s plan for a Growth and Skills Levy. Not only would it unlock greater potential to invest in skills and training across the industry but could also improve the take up and affordability of apprenticeships for future candidates and employers alike.”

 The Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agency Pilot (February 2022 to January 2024)

The purpose of the pilot was to test whether a limited agency-based apprenticeship model could be effective in the project-based nature common in the film and TV production sector.

 At the start of the pilot, ScreenSkills and its partners recruited 37 apprentices who were employed in two cohorts (May and September 2022). Specifically the roles were production assistants; production coordinators; assistant production accountants and post-production technical operators. In the first year of the pilot, 3 individuals chose to leave the pilot.

The total cost of the pilot was £1.9m including £410k of DfE funding for the first year. The second year was funded by industry partners.

As part of the evaluation, the apprentices have commented on the skills and experience gained during their on-the-job learning on placements and the support of their host employers. 85% felt that the pilot made them better prepared for employment; and three-quarters would recommend an apprenticeship in the screen industries.

In terms of placement, it was possible to secure sufficient placements for the apprentices to meet the programme employment and learning requirements. This was particularly true for longer, more sustainable placements in continuing dramas such as Hollyoaks and current affairs programmes like Jeremy Vine on 5. However, the process of identifying placements for the apprentices was intensive and resource heavy for the partners.

Throughout the pilot, ScreenSkills and the partners supported several of the apprentices who either declared that they had additional needs, or who required mental health and wellbeing support. During the last nine months of the programme, additional support was provided to ensure that the apprentices submitted their portfolios and completed their assessments.

Training, Standards and End Point Assessment (EPA)

During an apprenticeship, apprentices receive a range of training both off and on-the-job while working for employers. Apprenticeship Standards outline the knowledge and skills an apprentice is required to develop to carry out a specific role. The End Point Assessment is the final stage of an apprenticeship, and assesses whether an apprentice has developed the skills, knowledge and behaviours outlined in the apprenticeship standard.

Following a tendering process, All Spring Media was originally appointed to support production assistant, coordinator and accountant standards. However following an Ofsted inspection in summer 2022, the trainees were transferred to three other training providers – Bauer Academy, JGA Group and Train Together.

At the end of the pilot, 85% of the apprentices passed their End Point Assessment, with 16 participants achieving a Distinction.

Almost 90% of the production assistants and coordinators secured distinctions in their assessments. Additionally, it should be noted that the post-production technical operator apprentices all passed what is widely regarded as a challenging end point assessment.

Inclusion and Diversity

One of the aims of apprenticeships is to create opportunities for people who might not necessarily consider a career in the screen industries. The demographic make-up of the apprentices both exceeded ScreenSkills’ own diversity targets and was generally more diverse than for the sector as a whole. Additionally, the apprenticeship pilot had a higher percentage of people from a working class background (26%) than the general UK workforce (23%)^[3].

Evaluation of the Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Pilot

Overall, the evaluation demonstrates that the pilot effectively supported apprentices to gain the experience to pass the end point assessment to a high standard, and build the networks required to secure future employment.

However, the pilot also confirmed areas for improvement that were originally highlighted in ScreenSkills’ earlier apprenticeship reports of May and December 2023.

For employers, the FJAA model requires additional investment in wages, recruitment and in running the agency itself, and can prove to be time-intensive to deliver, especially in finding continuous and appropriate placements for the apprentices.

In terms of the Standards for the four roles, there were issues in applying the assistant   accountant standard effectively in a production environment, and employers observed that reducing the length of training for the production assistant could make it a more attractive proposition for prospective apprentices – although the one-year minimum duration of apprenticeships do make them more accessible for those entering the industry, especially based outside London. The production coordinator standard needs revision to be a better fit with the typical responsibilities of a trainee in this role. Employers and apprentices alike felt that the quality and relevance of the off-the-job training needed to be higher.

In relation to the End Point Assessment, both apprentices and employers commented on aspects including greater clarity in relation to the complexity of the documentation provided  and their design in terms of accessibility. However, ScreenSkills welcomes the work of both the Institute of Apprenticeships and Technical Education and AIM Awards, the End Point Assessment organisation during the pilot, to address immediate issues that arose regarding specific standards. 

Recommendations

ScreenSkills believes that apprenticeships are integral to creating a sustainable and inclusive workforce for the screen industries. The successful outcomes for apprentices from the Flexi-Job Apprenticeship pilot demonstrate that the apprenticeship system can be applied in a project-based sector. Additionally, ScreenSkills and the partners have all increased their own experience and knowledge of running apprenticeships which can be applied in the future.

Additionally, the Skills Task Force Report, A Sustainable Future for Skills published in November 2023 has made similar recommendations. Recognising that apprenticeships offered a real opportunity for the sector, the report identified that they had the potential to deliver work-based training, broaden career choices and ultimately help to create a sustainable, diverse and inclusive workforce.

 However, working with industry and Government, reform is necessary.

 The Apprenticeship Levy

Aligning or replacing the apprenticeship levy with the new Growth & Skills Levy could enable the funding to be used for a wider variety of work-based training programmes and potentially support employer costs and thereby make employing apprentices a viable option for SMEs. During this pilot, the partners met the costs in areas such as apprentice wages on production, leave and training, HR costs and programme delivery costs including coordinating placements.  Additionally, funding an industry agency would make supporting the delivery of apprenticeships more viable and effective for employers.  

Training, Standards and End Point Assessment

In terms of training provision, more could be done to encourage high quality and industry-recognised training providers. Additionally, using IfATE’s review process to improve existing apprenticeship standards and End Point Assessment plans would be beneficial. As well as ensuring that they reflect the short-term nature of many production contracts, and more specifically match the roles that apprentices are training for.

 A similar review of end point assessment plans is recommended. As well as considering the opportunity to ensure training providers adequately support the apprentices through the process, making the process more relevant to the day-to-day of the apprentice and ensuring that they are more accessible and simpler to understand, would further benefit the apprentices and potentially lead to a greater pass rate.

 [1]. Source: State of the Nations Report (Page 8), Creative PEC, May 2024]