Creative Skillset
Creative Skillset, now branded ScreenSkills, is the UK sector skills council for film, TV, VFX, animation, and games, delivering training, bursaries, the Training Passport credential, and sector-specific Skills Funds to grow an inclusive screen-industry workforce.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Creative Skillset does
Creative Skillset, now operating as ScreenSkills, is the UK sector skills council for the screen industries. Founded in 1992 and headquartered in London, it is structured as a company limited by guarantee and registered charity (England & Wales charity 1015324; Scotland charity SC039556), with 251-500 employees and no parent company, private equity, or venture ownership. Its remit covers film, television, VFX, animation, and games, addressing workforce skills gaps, career entry barriers, and diversity and inclusion challenges across these creative verticals.
Its core product set comprises the ScreenSkills Training Passport (a pan-industry credentialing record for production crew), a free e-learning platform spanning diversity, post-production, safeguarding, mental health, compliance, and software upskilling modules, the Trainee Finder placement scheme that connects new entrants to working productions, skills checklists for career navigation, and bursary programmes for career progression. Five sector-specific Skills Funds — covering Animation, Children's TV, Film, High-end TV, and Unscripted TV — channel industry contributions into workforce development. Supporting programmes include the High-end TV Leaders of Tomorrow three-year cohort, Film Forward, the TV Access Project for Deaf, Disabled, and Neurodivergent talent, the HR Toolkit for employers, and the ScreenSkills podcast.
The commercial model is that of a mission-driven, industry-funded body rather than a venture-backed company. There is no transactional pricing; services are free to beneficiaries, and revenue is generated through recurring industry skills fund contributions and bursary funding from production companies and sector partners. Distribution is primarily digital self-service via screenskills.com, supplemented by an approved training-provider network, direct placement through Trainee Finder, and enterprise engagement with production employers. Leadership comprises a Board, a Chair of Patrons (Clive Jones), a President (Baroness Morris), a Wales directorate head (Gwawr Thomas), and heads of Finance, Partnerships, and Contracts — with CEO Laura Mansfield having announced her departure.
Creative Skillset firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Creative Skillset
- Legal name
- ScreenSkills Limited
- Website
- https://creativeskillset.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Creative Skillset, now branded ScreenSkills, is the UK sector skills council for film, TV, VFX, animation, and games, delivering training, bursaries, the Training Passport credential, and sector-specific Skills Funds to grow an inclusive screen-industry workforce.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Creative Skillset industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Workforce Skills Development
- NAICS
- Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Computer Training (611420)
- akta.pro primary industry
- TVET/Skills & Workforce Education Authorities (EDADAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Technical & Vocational Education & Training (TVET) (BPADAKAD), Technical & Digital Skills Training (BPACANAB), Human Resources & Talent Development (EDAGANAB)
Keywords
Where Creative Skillset is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Creative Skillset business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Skills Funds: Industry-funded skills funds (Animation, Children's TV, Film, High-end TV, Unscripted TV) that support training and workforce development across the UK screen industries.
- Bursaries: ScreenSkills provides bursaries to help individuals progress their careers in the screen industries, funded by industry contributions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free training and e-learning |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Creative Skillset product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Creative Skillset (now operating as ScreenSkills) is a UK registered charity and sector skills council that delivers workforce development for the creative and screen industries, including film, television, fashion, VFX, animation and games. It provides free e-learning modules, bursaries, industry-recognised training credentials, trainee placement schemes and sector-specific skills funds (Animation, Children's TV, Film, High-end TV and Unscripted TV) funded by industry contributions.
Product overview
ScreenSkills is a UK-based skills and workforce development organization for the screen industries, offering a unified platform of training programs, career support services, and industry resources. The core portfolio includes the Training Passport (pan-industry credentialing system), E-learning modules (free online training), Trainee Finder (placement scheme), Skills Checklists (career guidance), and Bursaries (funding). The organization operates five sector-specific Skills Funds (Animation, Children's TV, Film, High-end TV, and Unscripted TV) that channel training investment across the industry. Additional offerings include the TV Access Project (TAP) for disability inclusion, the HR Toolkit for employers, and The ScreenSkills Podcast for industry insights. Programs like High-end TV Leaders of Tomorrow provide structured career development pathways. Together, these products form an integrated ecosystem supporting individuals from entry through senior levels across film, TV, VFX, animation, and games.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ScreenSkills Training Passport: The pan-industry record for production crew
- Trainee Finder
- ScreenSkills Bursaries
- Leaders of Tomorrow
- Film Forward
- TV Access Project (TAP)
Products and services
- ScreenSkills Training Passport
- E-learning Platform A suite of free online training modules covering diversity and inclusion, post production, safeguarding, mental health awareness, data protection, cybersecurity, financial compliance, disability access, and software upskilling for screen professionals.
- Trainee Finder A placement scheme connecting aspiring trainees with film and TV production opportunities to gain on-the-job experience.
- Skills Checklists Resources helping individuals discover roles and responsibilities across film and TV, supporting career planning and skill development.
- ScreenSkills Bursaries Funding programmes to support individuals in progressing their careers within the screen industries.
- Animation Skills Fund A skills fund supporting training and workforce development specifically for the animation sector.
- Children's TV Skills Fund A skills fund supporting training and workforce development for the children's television sector.
- Film Skills Fund A skills fund supporting training and workforce development for the film industry.
- High-end TV Skills Fund A skills fund supporting training and workforce development for the high-end television sector.
- Unscripted TV Skills Fund A skills fund supporting training and workforce development for the unscripted television sector.
- TV Access Project (TAP) Resources and programmes specifically designed for Deaf, Disabled, and Neurodivergent talent to improve access and opportunities in the television industry.
- HR Toolkit Advice and resources for employers and hirers in the screen industries, including workforce training, mental health and HR guidance.
- High-end TV Leaders of Tomorrow A three-year programme supporting mid-level freelancers in high-end TV to develop leadership skills and advance their careers in the industry.
Quantifiable outcome
- Multiple free e-learning modules covering industry skills, compliance, and professional development
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Creative Skillset
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Creative Skillset technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Creative Skillset partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Creative Skillset competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- MasterClass: Premium online education platform featuring world-class creative and screen industry professionals. Comparable as a high-profile creative skills training brand, though positioned as premium consumer subscription rather than industry workforce development.
- Skillshare: Online learning platform focused on creative skills (film, illustration, design, writing). Comparable as a delivery channel for creative skills training, though Skillshare is a commercial subscription platform serving global consumers rather than a sector skills body.
Regional players
- FutureLearn: UK-headquartered online course platform (owned by Global University Systems) offering creative and screen-related courses. Comparable as a UK-based digital learning delivery channel, though broader in scope and commercial rather than sector-mandated.
- AFTRS (Australian Film Television and Radio School): Australia's national screen and broadcast school, delivering professional training for film, television, and radio. Comparable as a national screen industries training institution, but operates in a different geographic and policy environment.
Broad incumbents
- Coursera: Global online learning platform offering courses, certificates, and degree programmes including creative and technology content. Comparable as a large-scale e-learning delivery channel competing for screen professionals' attention, though generalist rather than screen-industry specialized.
- Sundance Institute: US-based non-profit that runs labs, fellowships, and training programmes for independent filmmakers and storytellers. Comparable as a mission-driven screen industries training organization with a strong brand and curated talent development programmes.
- LinkedIn Learning: Professional development platform owned by Microsoft with extensive creative and software training content. Comparable as a competitor for professional screen skills development, though focused on broad workforce upskilling rather than sector-mandated credentials.
Direct peers
- British Film Institute (BFI): UK's lead organization for film and the moving image, with a skills and talent development function (BFI Film Academy, Future Film Skills) that overlaps with ScreenSkills' training remit for the screen workforce.
- Creative UK: UK-wide sector body for the creative industries, with a remit to support creative talent, businesses, and workforce development. Highly comparable to ScreenSkills as both act as industry-mandated bodies supporting the UK creative economy.
- National Film and Television School (NFTS): UK national centre of excellence for film, television, and games postgraduate training. Comparable as a UK-based screen industries training institution serving similar production crew and creative talent segments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Creative Skillset social profiles
Digital presenceCreative Skillset financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Creative Skillset leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Creative Skillset funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Creative Skillset M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Creative Skillset
What does Creative Skillset do?
Creative Skillset (now operating as ScreenSkills) is a UK registered charity and sector skills council that delivers workforce development for the creative and screen industries, including film, television, fashion, VFX, animation and games. It provides free e-learning modules, bursaries, industry-recognised training credentials, trainee placement schemes and sector-specific skills funds (Animation, Children's TV, Film, High-end TV and Unscripted TV) funded by industry contributions.
Is Creative Skillset a public or private company?
Creative Skillset is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Creative Skillset founded?
Creative Skillset was founded in 1992. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Creative Skillset based?
Creative Skillset is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Creative Skillset make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Skills Funds are the primary driver. The others are bursaries.
Who are Creative Skillset's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are MasterClass and Skillshare. Regional players are FutureLearn and AFTRS (Australian Film Television and Radio School). Broad incumbents are Coursera, Sundance Institute and LinkedIn Learning. Direct peers are British Film Institute (BFI), Creative UK and National Film and Television School (NFTS).
Does Creative Skillset have an API?
No public API is recorded for Creative Skillset.
What industry is Creative Skillset in?
Creative Skillset's product category is Workforce Skills Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADAAAH, TVET/Skills & Workforce Education Authorities, with a secondary code of BPADAKAD, Technical & Vocational Education & Training (TVET). Its NAICS code is 6115.