Star Wars boss calls for more diversity in film industry amid skill shortages

STAR WARS boss Kathleen Kennedy and James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli have called for more diversity in the UK film industry as research found there is a “pandemic lack of inclusion” in the business.

This is contributing to a serious skills shortage that will require 10,000 people to enter the film industry over the next five years to maintain the UK’s position at the forefront of global movie production and help fill the 30,000 job opportunities estimated to come up.

However, a culture of nepotism, unpaid work experience and a lack of appropriate training is stopping people joining the ranks, with the obstacles even more pronounced for minority groups.

While thousands of young people are studying for film-related qualifications, few are training for the jobs required, leading to skill shortages in 40 occupations, including first assistant directors, costume designers, carpenters, production accountants and 3D model makers, research found.

A review from the Work Foundation, by the BFI, showed that the film workforce comprises of 12 per cent from less advantaged socio-economic backgrounds, five per cent have a disability – and black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) employees make up just three per cent of the production and post-production workforce. Women make up 40 per cent of the workforce and earn on average £3,000 less than male counterparts.

Heather Carey, of the Work Foundation, said: “Learners genuinely lack an awareness that there are opportunities for them in the screen industries.

“We found, having looked at demand and supply, that the progression into work is not an easy one. There is a culture of nepotism, the majority of employers recruit through word of mouth, and that creates real barriers for people who don’t know people. Then there is real challenge of unpaid work experience, no wonder that acts as an obstacle.”