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As the second cohort graduates, HETV Skills Fund’s Leaders of Tomorrow initiative continues to offer invaluable bespoke training
Is there opportunity for talented crew to receive the support they need to step up? How do we ensure those in leadership roles are representative of the industry’s workforce?
These questions are at the foundations of Leaders of Tomorrow, an inclusion initiative developed by the HETV Skills Fund to provide progression pathways to those ready to take the next step in their screen careers.
Launched in 2021 as a response to industry need, the programme asks HoDs and leading professionals to nominate candidates, identified as having the skills to become a future leader in their department. They then receive bespoke training, bursary access, mentorship, funded placements and industry exposure designed to act as a bridge to a more senior role.
Since its inception, the programme has demonstrated the Fund’s commitment to driving meaningful change within the industry. Established to ensure that those in leadership roles are truly representative of the sector, the programme has supported 100 individuals across five cohorts - 74 of whom are women, 65 are based outside London and 37 come from ethnic minority backgrounds.
“We had access to resources that provided real concrete foundations on how to progress over the past three years”
Laki Pattapola, Leader of Tomorrow participant
Now, after three years of bespoke training, the programme’s second cohort of participants are ready to graduate.
Aleysha Minns McGrath, HETV professional skills manager, ScreenSkills, says: “We’re hugely proud to see our second Leaders of Tomorrow graduate and make the most of the tools they’ve developed across the three years. Progression is an incredibly important part of our industry and improving pathways to ensure that they are supported during this process is vital.
“The tailored training, mentorship and placement experience participants receive as part of the programme provides essential development opportunities to those working within it. The programme also underlines the Fund’s commitment to ensuring these pathways are accessible to everyone and our industry is an open and inclusive one. We congratulate our graduating cohort and look forward to following their exciting careers in the industry.”
Graduating cohort member Laki Pattapola has been able to use the programme to further develop his post-production career, securing work as VFX senior co-ordinator on the likes of House Of The Dragon series 3.
He says: “It’s been a wonderful thing to observe everybody’s development and to feed off that. I’ve seen everyone flourish in their leadership skills and in their confidence. It’s great to see the kind of benefits of our own development, as well as the support that we’ve had on this programme and where it’s put us now.
Career support
“What I feel distinguishes this programme is the real focus on a very key group of people. We’ve had access to resources that not everybody else has been able to give and that provided real concrete foundations on how to progress over the past three years.”
Fellow member Jennifer Atcheson also reveals the impact the programme’s practical elements have had: “One of the big aspects of it has been shadowing, which is something I haven’t had the opportunity to pursue before.
I got a great placement with my mentor on a job and it demystified pre-production a lot for me. Something that you don’t really get to see until you’re in that role.”
As the programme’s second cohort move on, 17 new participants were welcomed onto the programme to form its fifth cohort last month. Among them was the programme’s 100th candidate, a milestone figure for a landmark programme, ready to develop the next generation of future production leaders.
