Seetha Kumar is to leave her role as chief executive of UK training body ScreenSkills at the end of this year.
Kumar joined the organisation in 2015 and led it through the evolution from Creative Skillset to ScreenSkills in 2018. She told Screen’s sister publication Broadcast that the time “feels right” to move on but did not disclose whether she had a new role lined up.
During her tenure Kumar has grown the organisation’s reputation and impact, with its six Skills Funds delivering a portfolio of successful training programmes and initiatives in response to industry demand. These funds include Trainee Finder, which offers paid placements in animation, children’s, film and high-end TV, the Unscripted Skills Fund which was launched in 2021 and the Future Film Skills programme, a five-year scheme with BFI which helped support 90,000 new entrants into the screen industries.
ScreenSkills recently called for fundamental reform of the apprenticeship levy in the UK and how apprenticeships are applied for the screen sector in England and last week published a diversity and inclusion playbook with advise on how create and retain a more inclusive workforce.
“I think organisations benefit from change and having new blood. It feels to me that there are so many brilliant things going on and ScreenSkills is in a good place,” said Kumar.
She remains in post until the end of 2023, with the search for her successor due to commence shortly. Until then, Kumar intends to spend the next five months building on the “unified” approach to industry training that ScreenSkills has developed during her tenure.
“I plan to spend the next five months doing everything I can to leave ScreenSkills and this sector in a strong place because at the end of the day, it’s a collective effort,” she said.
“The industry cannot, and must not, stand still. Skills development and training are more important than ever before and will remain my priority until I leave at the end of the year. ScreenSkills is best placed to ensure that there is a unified and coherent approach to skills, to ensure that the sector continues to be its creative best and contributes economically and socially to the health and wealth of the UK.”
Kumar was coy about her next career move, stating only that she had “plans” but that for now her focus would remain with ScreenSkills.
Richard Johnston, chair of the ScreenSkills board, thanked Kumar for her “commitment, passion and single-minded determination” as chief executive.
“Under her leadership, ScreenSkills has delivered two significant achievements,” said Johnston. ”First, it has brought the screen industries together, encouraging them to collaborate and work collectively as never before for the benefit of the thousands of people working in screen. Second, ScreenSkills has made it its mission not only to ensure that the screen industries are open to everyone, regardless of their background or level of educational attainment, but that they have continued access to lifelong training and development opportunities.”
Kumar’s departure follows that of her colleague Christine Healy, who stepped down as chair of ScreenSkills’ High-End TV (HETV) council in April and is succeeded by Barry Ryan.
This story first appeared on Screen’s sister site Broadcast.
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