Film, TV and animation holds a unique place in our lives, bringing joy, inspiration, and a sense of connection to millions of people around the world. They capture emotions, tell stories, and build bridges across cultures, making them invaluable to society. In the UK, the screen industries are a key driver of creative energy, employing thousands of people and producing content enjoyed globally. However, behind the magic of the screen, ensuring that the workforce has the skills and opportunities to thrive is critical to the industry’s continued success.
ScreenSkills, the UK screen sector’s industry body, is dedicated to this mission. Focused on developing a skilled and inclusive workforce, ScreenSkills seeks to ensure that the UK remains competitive on a global scale. Inclusivity is at the heart of their approach, recognizing that a diverse and representative workforce is key to building a stronger and more dynamic industry. Through targeted training and development opportunities, ScreenSkills aims to uplift talent from across the UK, supporting the needs of freelancers, production staff, and media professionals alike.
I am very grateful for the Oliver Wyman team’s hard work, patience, and invaluable insights. Their generous approach has provided us with a strong foundation to build on and power forward. With the support of the team, ScreenSkills was able to develop a strategy that was informed and endorsed by industryLaura Mansfield, CEO, ScreenSkills
We worked with ScreenSkills over 12 weeks to create a five-year transformational strategy aimed at future-proofing the UK’s screen industries. Our approach began with large-scale data collection across the UK workforce, including freelancers and key players in media production. Additionally, we conducted more than 30 in-depth interviews with stakeholders from major broadcasters, streaming platforms, government bodies, and screen agencies to capture the full scope of the industry’s needs. Using these insights, we crafted a consensus-driven strategy that balanced the priorities of all stakeholders in this dynamic sector. Our team also helped ScreenSkills develop a robust funding and organizational plan to help ensure the successful implementation of this strategy over the coming years.
Our collaboration with ScreenSkills resulted in a transformative plan, rooted in data collection and stakeholder insights. By fostering trust and providing a clear roadmap, we helped ScreenSkills focus on core services and forge partnerships, ultimately benefiting the screen sector workforceJeff Youssef, Partner, Oliver Wyman
Through these interviews and data collection efforts, we helped ScreenSkills build trust with critical industry stakeholders and partners, making the organization better equipped to collaborate with them. The strategic roadmap and detailed funding requests will also position ScreenSkills to continue delivering services that benefit the entire UK workforce. This project will help ensure that the screen industries remain innovative and resilient, with a well-trained workforce ready to meet the challenges of the future.
It has been truly rewarding to see the impact our consulting toolkit can have on supporting a charitable cause. From a professional perspective, it was also deeply enriching to work on building up the UK screen workforce and improving its inclusivity and diversityRebecca Cadman, Associate, Oliver Wyman