Creative Skillset

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.

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

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

• Creative industries skills
• Workforce development
• Screen industries training
• Industry bursaries
• Film TV education

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Bursaries: ScreenSkills provides bursaries to help individuals progress their careers in the screen industries, funded by industry contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers8 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging 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

• Xx.com/skillsetssc
• Facebookfacebook.com/creativeskillset
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/creative-skillset
• Instagraminstagram.com/screenskills

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Creative Skillset