ITV & Amazon Prime Video Join Unscripted TV Skills Fund

ITV and Amazon Prime Video have come on board the ScreenSkills Unscripted TV Skills Fund, which is committed to supporting skills and training development for the unscripted workforce.

In backing the fund, ITV and Amazon Prime Video join founding investors BBC and Channel 4, as well as Sky, A+E Networks UK, Discovery UK, Channel 5 and Netflix. Per the agreement, they will pay a percentage of all unscripted commission budgets to the ScreenSkills Unscripted TV Skills Fund.

Broadcaster and streamer contributions are matched by the production company.

The fund, which went live last June, addresses skills shortages and inclusion, including boosting training in nations and regions. Backed by Pact, it is designed to benefit producers with a stronger supply of trained professionals in key shortage roles across the U.K.

Jane Muirhead, chair of the Unscripted TV Skills Council; and co-founder and managing director, Raise the Roof Productions, said: “All of us at the coal face of this recruitment crisis have been crying out for this collective approach to improve inclusion, boost the availability of skilled crew and talent across the U.K. and future-proof the unscripted TV industry. It’s brilliant news that ITV and Amazon’s Prime Video have joined us and demonstrates that we all share common goals.”

Sinead Rocks, chair of the Unscripted TV Skills Fund Steering Group; and managing director, nations and regions, at Channel 4, said: “It’s great that Amazon’s Prime Video and ITV have come on board; having the support of so many broadcasters, streamers and production companies gives us a real step change when it comes to investment in the unscripted workforce. I’m delighted that Sarah Joyce and the team at ScreenSkills are so committed to making our industry’s ambitions for a more skilled and inclusive workforce into a reality—especially in the nations and regions.”

Kevin Lygo, ITV’s managing director of media and entertainment, said: “As we extend our commissioning ambitions even further in 2022 with the launch of ITVX, now is a great time for us to sign up for the fund. Having the very best people working on shows, from a wide range of backgrounds, is very important to us, so we are pleased to join as backers of this fund, to address skills shortages and boost talent training out of London, in particular.”