Building better leaders across the screen industry

Great leadership shapes great television. It harnesses talent and creates environments that inspire teams to make the shows we love to watch. In recent years, however, it’s increasingly identified as an area where capabilities are seen as falling behind the required standard.

ScreenSkills’ High-end TV (HETV) and Unscripted TV Skills Funds are invested in developing training that directly responds to industry need and have directed funds towards creating initiatives that equip members of the screen workforce with the tools to manage teams across departments.

Both funds are guided by sector experts and targeted research to inform investment decisions. The recent Powering Production report, by ScreenSkills and Harlow Consulting, found that, while proficient, the workforce lacks the leadership and management skills needed as mid-level and senior staff roles shift from task delivery to management.

These findings, coupled with the results of a workforce report by the HETV Skills Fund, have furthered the development of training designed to meet these needs.

Hannah Green, head of HETV Skills Fund, says: “The impact that great leaders can have on productions is huge. Managing teams, shaping culture and inspiring teams to perform at their best is an essential skill. We’ve developed training to address this need and direct funds towards building future leaders.”

Sarah Joyce, head of Unscripted and Children’s TV Skills Funds, adds: “Effective leadership is much more than managing tasks. In today’s landscape, it requires a varied skillset, from communication to creating mentally healthy workspaces. Developing tailored training that encourages people to develop practical leadership and management skills is one of our key focuses.”

A result of this focus can be seen in specialist leadership and management training developed and supported by both funds. The HETV Leaders of Tomorrow initiative is a three-year programme where 100 candidates receive bespoke guidance, mentoring, shadowing and networking opportunities to help create future leaders across all departments.

“These courses are rooted in real industry experience and designed to give people the tools to build trust, communicate well, create inclusive, high-performing teams and deal with the everyday realities of leading in our industry”
Addie Orfila, trainer

A further Leadership and Management: Essentials training programme provides the fundamental tools that foster strong leadership. It is designed to help HoDs develop practical leadership skills that support high performance, positive working relationships and inclusive working cultures.

Advanced leadership training, upcoming in Bristol and Glasgow, supports those looking to build on their skills by offering two days of in-person practical, discussion-led learning to explore the realities of leading teams in fast-paced production environments.

Addie Orfila, who designed and runs the cross-fund training, says: “Film and television is all about people, so good leadership really matters. The reality is that many of us are promoted because we’re great at the creative or technical side of the job, rather than because we’ve had the chance to learn how to lead and manage people. That’s exactly why these courses exist. They’re practical, rooted in real industry experience and designed to give people the confidence and tools to build trust, communicate well, create inclusive, high-performing teams and deal with the everyday realities of leading in our industry.”

At the Edinburgh TV Festival, the funds will be running a drop-in Leadership Lounge, where trainer Samantha Jukes-Adams will introduce ideas and help professionals discover how guided training can help unlock new skills that support leadership roles.

In a fast-evolving production landscape, leadership and management skills remain constant. Through their continued investment, the HETV and Unscripted TV Skills Funds are helping build a workforce equipped to lead that future.