FILM IN ENGLAND - UK Film Council - British Film Institute

Consultation 3
30
Film in England
FILM COUNCIL funding would enhance the commissions’ ability to deliver and would
enable an effective partnership with the BFC. The FILM COUNCIL therefore wants to
make new investment available to screen commissions to assist individual commissions
achieve organisational stability, aid sector development and participate in an integrated
regional planning process.
3.4.7 Training and Vocational Education in the English Regions
Skillset, the NTO for Broadcast, Film, Video and Multimedia, has been extremely
active over the last few years in establishing employer-led regional training
consortia in the English regions. In recognition that FE and HE courses (whether
purely academic or purely practical) have a key role in preparing people for work
in the industry, and in supporting continuous development, Skillset also has a
clear remit for vocational education.
The following points summarise key issues relating to regional training consortia:
■ Regional training consortia mirror Skillset’s remit for broadcast, film, video and
multimedia. Their remit therefore is broader than that of the FILM COUNCIL’s
and geared to industry needs which extend to television and radio
■ Training consortia need to go through a process of “kite-marking” with Skillset
to ensure national training standards and priorities are met
■ Based on their knowledge of each region’s skills shortages, training needs and
skills development requirements, the training consortia ensure these needs are
met through a variety of training measures for craft and technical personnel.
This, in turn, enhances the region’s skills base, meets local business
requirements and improves the competitive position of the region
■ Within each region, there is the obvious potential for a positive working
relationship between training consortia, screen commissions and production
funds
■ Relationships between RABs and training consortia are not always harmonious
even though many RABs have worked hard to see a consortium established in
their region. This tends to result from tensions between industrial or employer-led
needs promoted by the consortia and culturally-led needs promoted by the RABs
■ Typically, regional training consortia are dependent upon a patchwork of funders
which include local authorities, broadcasters, ESF and ERDF structural funds.
Funding is inevitably short term and thus unstable. The result is continuous
fundraising initiatives which divert the consortia from doing their job
■ For a variety of reasons, but principally the absence of core revenue funding, a
number of training consortia have found it difficult to sustain their
organisations and two have ceased to operate in their original form. This is
currently the case in the North West and the North East. Skillset is working
actively to put alternative arrangements in place but the lack of core funding
remains a key problem.