In Focus: European training special

Screen’s annual training focus comes on the eve of the introduction of an apprenticeship levy on all UK companies in early April.

We take a close look at the challenges and opportunities of the levy for film and TV companies, and we explore how the levy can complement the industry’s existing apprenticeship scheme, which is funded by the Skills Investment Fund.

We talk to several filmmakers who have benefited from the initiative. All confirm there is no greater training field than an actual working film (or TV) set.

The white-hot success of the UK as a location for international film and high-end TV shoots (thanks to a combination of elements including two generous tax reliefs) translates into a huge demand to bring new people in, attract school-leavers to a booming sector and promote promising colleagues from within.

We look at how UK industry leaders including Creative Skillset, the National Film and Television School, and the British Film Institute are ensuring the UK has enough talented crew and craftspeople, and that they have the right skills. In the same feature we explore how Germany and Spain, each enjoying their own inward investment boom, are also nurturing talent.

Read more:

• Training Focus: Film’s freelance problem
• Training Focus: How the UK is addressing its crew shortage
• Training Focus: How the UK’s voluntary apprenticeship levy works