Standard C: Industry access and opportunities

This standard addresses how certain roles and opportunities are presented and followed through with:

• paid opportunities
• career advancement
• mentoring
• new entrants into the industry
• appropriate film credit 
• structuring roles for greater access and success through considerations and interventions for different types of contracts, working arrangements, work patterns and carer responsibilities

Completing this standard does not require naming any individuals. Where roles have yet to be confirmed, provide details of the intended roles that will be offered, in what departments and the recruitment of these roles, the outreach with under-represented groups and/or which barriers will be removed.

All opportunities or roles need to be held by individuals from under-represented groups to meet the criteria. 

For all criteria within this standard, the overall size of the film project will be considered. Concessions may be made for applications from film projects with very small teams. Film projects with smaller teams would need to provide as much information as possible against the relevant criteria in their application.  

For applications for Development funding, detailed information on any opportunities to be offered during the development stage should be included.

Internships and new entrant roles should have depth and breadth in terms of the experience they will provide to the individual involved. This might include working with a range of team members across the crew or having a range of duties that collectively form a rewarding experience.

Where filming is outside of the UK, opportunities offered to those on location can fulfil the criteria, provided they are from an under-represented group. If pre-production or post-production is taking place in the UK, UK-based opportunities should be offered where possible.

Standard C contents

• C1 – Paid opportunities (you must meet this criteria)
• C2 – Training, development and work experience’
• C3 – Career progression
• C4 – Mentoring
• C5 – Industry upskilling

C1 – Paid opportunities (mandatory)

This criteria relates to paid, early career employment opportunities.

Criteria

The film project is offering paid early career employment including work based training (such as apprenticeships, internships, and traineeships) for individuals from under-represented groups.

Guidance

Paid opportunities on the film project pertains to roles such as apprenticeships, internships, early career traineeships, specialist advisers (subject matter experts) and similar. The type of roles and opportunities should be provided, along with either the intention or actual placement of individuals from an under-represented group. 

This criteria does not relate to general crew members being paid for their role. 

Where relevant, provide details of utilising the services of a specific body or organisation that provides pathways and routes into the industry. The number of paid opportunities offered should be proportionate to the overall size of the film project and set against realistic need.  This is particularly important for work based training roles, as these should support the undertaking of real work duties. 

Examples include, but are not limited to, the following types of paid opportunities for individuals from under-represented groups:

• An in-company programme supporting for internships and apprenticeships. 
• Any specific interventions made for primary caregivers and to encourage those returning to work returnship (e.g. job-share opportunities, on-set childcare, flexible working arrangements.
• Inclusive recruitment approaches for internship and apprenticeship positions, including the open advertising of opportunities across a wide range of platforms, simplifying language in job adverts, and removing unnecessary pre-requisites for entry. Support may also include aiding access by supporting travel and subsistence costs in addition to the internship/apprenticeship wage. 
• An external scheme run by a recognised and reputable industry organisation, providing candidates or trainees. 
• Contractual clarity on the working arrangements, hours of work, parameters for flexibility, any job-share, part-time policy stipulations are clearly outlined to ensure lawful and best practice. 
• Specialist advisers are subject matter experts who are consulted to guide and advise on the lived experiences, as well as the authenticity of the portrayal of an under-represented group(s) that features significantly in the project in some way (for example, narrative / characters / place / historical event). Such specialist advisers will have the requisite knowledge, experience and will understand the nuances as a consequence of their own background and identity as it relates to under-representation. 

C2 – Training, development and work experience

This criteria relates to training opportunities and skills development.

Criteria

The film project is offering training and insight opportunities (including work experience and other opportunities such as skills/craft development and career development for crew and/or project team members coming from outside of the industry, on-set and one-off training) for individuals from under-represented groups.   

Guidance

Various training opportunities for skills and career development, ongoing programmes, on-set training for those from outside the industry, including one-off ad-hoc training courses and development. Details of the type of training should be provided, along with either the intention or actual programmes, events, seminars that were offered and made available to attend. Where relevant, provide details of utilising the services of a specific body or organisation that provides pathways and routes into the industry. The number of training opportunities offered should be proportionate to the overall size of the project.  

Examples include, but are not limited to, the different types of training and insight opportunities: 

• Dedicated work experience for individuals from under-represented groups to provide them with greater insight into production roles and departments – including secondary, further, or higher education students
• Talks, seminars or workshops by key crew or creatives at educational / community organisations for under-represented groups  
• Opportunities for those from under-represented communities to take on more responsibility on-set / temporarily step-up or receive new training during the course or after production  
• For development fund projects, a masterclass on writing / development process aimed at a specific audience or demonstrate commitment to diversity at an early stage with casting for read-throughs 

Note: A film project may be visited or further enquiries made to ensure that the opportunities provided are of a high quality.

C3 – Career progression

This criteria relates to promotion to a role that constitutes career progression and provision of relevant support.

Criteria

Crew and/or project team members from under-represented groups are given a role that constitutes career progression.    

Guidance

Where team members are from an under-represented group(s) and are assigned to take on roles that are higher than previous positions they’ve held in similar productions and projects, this is validation of a promotion or career progression within the industry.

Information provided should detail the team member’s career progression, by indicating the role within this project team and how this is a promotion from their previous or past roles held, whether during the same production or previous productions. Note, these would be credited roles.

Career progression examples include but are not limited to:

• Short film to feature film 
• Trainee to non-trainee
• Small-scale documentary to feature documentary
• First film credit

Examples of meaningful career progression includes first full credit or next credit in a professional role for team members from under-represented groups after: 

• Being in secondary / further / higher education 
• Taking part in a specific work-based training / apprenticeship programme  
• Transferring from another industry, including re-training (should not assume early career or young persons only) 

Detail, where relevant, any additional support provided to individuals in their career progression that has not been covered in C2 or C5.

C4 – Mentoring

This criteria relates to meaningful, structured mentoring programmes.

Criteria

Structured mentorship programmes for individuals from under-represented groups run as part of the project.    

Guidance

Mentorship programmes that are run as part of the film project that provide mentorship for individuals from under-represented groups. Provide detail on the nature of the mentoring and the under-represented groups that the mentee(s) belong(s) to. 

Examples of mentoring programmes include, but are not limited to:

• mentee(s) are part of a structured mentorship over the course the project
• mentee(s) are involved in a wider company or national mentorship programme 
• mentee(s) continue to be involved in a mentoring programme after film production
• mentee(s) specific to audience development, before/after film release
• HODs/creatives are mentors within a wider mentoring programme and mentees are involved with their project. 

In this last case, indicate the role of the mentor but do not name the individual.

Areas of informal sponsorship may also be considered, provided they can be evidenced, where opportunities are provided for emerging talent from under-represented groups who are not necessarily able to access job opportunities or share work experiences in the industry.

Note: Mentors and sponsors should be of a high standard and possess significant skills and experience to provide meaningful opportunities.

C5 Industry support

This criteria relates to the support, sponsorship and funding for Duty of Care Roles (B6).

Criteria

Facilitating the upskilling of individuals in Duty of Care Roles in the wider screen industries.    

Guidance

Bigger productions are encouraged to use their influential power, scale, and financial resources for funding initiatives to upskill individuals in the wider screen industries for Duty of Care roles as a sign of goodwill and desire to contribute towards their training and development. This directly relates to B6 and can provide a trained, sustainable workforce for these roles.