Five things you can do now to act on the skills gaps and shortages in Unscripted TV

Whether you’ve read the ScreenSkills Unscripted TV Skills Review that has just landed, or work in factual/unscripted production - it’ll come as no surprise - we have work to do.

Exacerbated by the pandemic, this survey confirms some long-held concerns that many of us working in factual/unscripted TV have been expressing: demand does not equal supply. We don’t have enough experienced talent in the sector, equipped with the skills they need to deliver to the demands of our productions. 

Some headlines from the report include:

• Every part of the UK is reporting skills gaps and shortages

• The shortage of experienced staff to fill senior editorial and production management roles is particularly acute

• Skills gaps in storytelling, communication and leadership expertise are the most evident

• Investment in training in Unscripted has been modest and piecemeal compared to other parts of the screen industries where there are tax relief incentives

• When it comes to my specialist area - inclusion - there’s an acknowledgment that “the industry is not set up to employ people who are under-resourced”.

• Related to this - recognising and removing socio-economic barriers to inclusion has to be a priority in order to attract the volume and calibre of creative talent that we need.

It might seem impossible to know where to start - but this has been my core obsession for the last two years: identifying the tangible, actionable steps that can be taken on a day to day level to start breaking these talent, training and diversity deadlocks.

If you are a production head, company MD or key decision maker on a series, here’s five things you can do today to attract a wider pool of skilled talent and help level up the skills gaps: 

1 - Offer new employees contracts that are longer than the life of your production

For the two decades I worked in production, the mantra being rolled out was that “due to business need” (i.e. budget) - freelancers and fixed-term staff should be kept on the absolute minimum contract to get the job done. 

This historic salami slicing and bean-counting has led to job insecurity, talent not feeling valued, and as the report points out, has contributed to a situation whereby the last decade of production staff have received little or no formal training. Worse still, those facing economic barriers to working in TV have left to pursue more stable jobs, where they receive better training, progression and support.

So this may feel like a painful bit of culture change (financially) - but if you know you have other productions coming up, or you know there will be a need for development or some post production work… take the opportunity to retain team members that you can. The rewards will come back not just in their productivity and commitment, but the removal of the otherwise inevitable talent tug-of-war that happens a few months down the line when you are looking to recruit in their role again, but let some of your best talent go too soon.

2 - Upskill your existing production staff with training and mentoring

You may not be able to cater to everyone’s training and upskilling needs, but you can make a good start by identifying where the most pressing skills gaps are in your existing team*. Armed with that knowledge, talk to your commissioner about the budget line that you want to put in the production to ensure that talent (particularly those from underrepresented groups) gets the chance to develop and progress while on the series. All major UK broadcasters have diversity and inclusion targets. Demonstrating that you are not just ticking a box, but committing to the longer term success of talent in your team is a strong reason for them to support your request. ScreenSkills also offer a huge volume of free online training, and we are running with ScreenSkills a heavily subsidised course for APs/PDs and Producers - see below.

*The off-screen team at Gritty can help you design a simple, anonymous ‘snapshot’ survey for your team to identify their needs and skills gaps.

 3 - Get involved in local/regional engagement opportunities to talk about key career paths like production management 

The ScreenSkills survey highlighted the largest shortages to be in PM and PC roles. It also demonstrated the knowledge black hole when it comes to educators and people outside the sector knowing about these roles, and the skills they require. As a result, so many fantastic potential production managers of the future don’t even know this job exists, or that this role is open to them.

The fact is, you don’t need lots of TV experience to progress as a PC/PM. You do need great organisation, numerical, IT and communication skills. So many people with experience of budget and project management in other sectors could walk into these roles and flourish. Your job is to start talking to them. Your local education and business consortiums can help connect you to job fayres and open days to talk to students and graduates.

4 - Be flexible and embrace job sharing / flexi time to attract talent and to stop caregivers leaving the industry

There’s a lot you can do to retain and progress the talent that you do have. Job-sharing and flexible working is easier to deploy in PM roles. It’s harder but not impossible in editorial roles. To explore how flexi working can work for your business, why not look at job sharing between one experienced PM and a junior PM. It’s a great way to combine upskilling with the intention to support staff who cannot commit to full time roles. It’s also a considerate way to re-engage skilled production talent who may have had time out to raise a child, or for health or other reasons.

 5 - Take the same creative risks that you take with storytelling with talent too.

We are used to taking creative risks when it comes to pioneering a new format, or trying a new piece of kit. It requires taking a leap into the unknown - but making your best plan around how to achieve it. Without taking creative risks there’d be no Strictly, no fixed-cam rigs and definitely no robot penguins! It’s time now to take creative risks on lesser known talent who have great, untapped potential. 

For off-screen roles - development is a great place to start, and for new talent to learn how your company works and how to develop pitches and treatments.

The best ideas don’t come from groupthink. They come from fusing together lots of different perspectives - and understanding that your audience is also not a homogenous group. I don’t think you need an ‘ology to work in development (or production) - what you do need is good research and people skills, and the ability to interrogate and build on ideas. Those skill sets come from all walks of life and disciplines. 

 On-screen we understand how difficult it is to break through new voices and faces - but to stay relevant to the world’s diverse global audiences - you are going to need to reflect people who look and sound like them, and have similar passions and interests. 

And finally… I’m on a roll so here’s a bonus tip:

Commit to a workplace culture where everyone is welcome and equally valued. Put this front and centre of your job posts, and really mean it. 

For someone from an “under-represented group” in TV be they Muslim, LGBTQ+, neuro-diverse or from a low income family, this sends the signal that you want them to thrive, not just survive in the workplace.

It will take years to refine and get right, but it starts with a visible and regularly practised commitment. I believe that the talent (and rewards) will then follow.

So rather than feeling overwhelmed by the ScreenSkills report - why not take action today. Do still read and digest the ScreenSkills report, but do so with the intention that you’ll do something today to change the story. 

If you’re in a decision maker role, have control of budget (or the ear of someone who does) then you can make some direct changes to your company culture and processes right now. 

If you’re in an early or mid career role, you can have a conversation with your line manager about the specific skills and training you need to flourish and progress in their team. And you can share this article with them as a conversation starter!

You can also apply for, and/or recommend colleagues to our ScreenSkills Producer Pathways Course, aimed specifically at addressing skills gaps for people at AP, Producer and PD level. More details here:

 https://www.grittytalent.tv/producer-pathways

https://www.screenskills.com/bookings/producer-pathways-in-unscripted-tv/

ScreenSkills Unscripted TV Skills Review:

https://www.screenskills.com/media/5232/2022-02-08-unscripted-tv-research.pdf