Unlock Your Career Potential: ScreenSkills' Make A Move Programme for Mid to Senior Freelancers

ScreenSkills' Make A Move Programme Provides Opportunities for Freelancers

For over a decade, the High-end Skills Fund has been investing in training to support the screen workforce at every career stage. Its Make A Move (MAM) programme has become instrumental in developing the careers of mid to senior-level freelancers.

Designed to offer on-the-job learning opportunities for those ready to advance, this initiative has helped more than 1,200 freelance crew members move into more senior roles.

Joanna Crow, who joined the Chloe production in 2022 and stepped into a producer role through MAM, shares: "MAM was instrumental in my move to becoming a Bafta-nominated series producer [including Netflix’s Supacell and BBC1/Amazon drama Chloe]. The scheme gave me a foot in the door but also incredible support from the ScreenSkills team. I cannot thank MAM enough. Without it, I might still be waiting on the bench."

Over its 10-year history, MAM has become an intrinsic part of the Fund’s offering, supported by up to 95% of contributing productions. It has provided positions on popular shows like Adolescence, Blue Lights, Brassic, Call The Midwife, Department Q, Down Cemetery Road, Killing Eve, Outlander, Peaky Blinders, Sex Education, Ted Lasso, Vera, and The Witcher.

Hannah Green, Head of HETV at ScreenSkills, emphasizes: "Career progression is a vital part of ensuring the continued success of our thriving production landscape. Alongside grade-specific training and programmes, MAM has been central to the Fund’s ability to offer crew members the platform and mentorship to enhance their skills and develop their careers."

"MAM offered me the opportunity to step up into a role that had previously seemed not impossible but very difficult" Steven Grainger, production designer

The programme serves as a vital bridge for freelance crew stepping up to more senior roles across departments. In addition to work-based learning, it provides candidates with short training courses, equipment, and mentoring to ensure they have the skills, resources, and confidence needed for advancement.

Steven Grainger, a production designer whose career was boosted by the scheme after joining The A Word in 2019, explains how it inspired him to help others: "MAM offered me the opportunity to step up into a role that had previously seemed not impossible but very difficult. Without ScreenSkills, I’m not certain the production company I was working for would have been in the position to support my step up. Since then, I have been involved in helping other members of my department utilise MAM in successfully furthering their careers."

Created to support both the workforce and productions filming in the UK, MAM grants contributing productions access to funding to aid candidates' progression. Productions are asked to nominate a suitable mentor, with additional wraparound support provided by the ScreenSkills HETV team.

Production manager Cat McNamara, who regularly uses the programme, details its benefits: "Make a Move allowed us to develop the skills and talents of seven crew members across different departments. Using the MAM funding, we were able to work closely with relevant HoDs to ensure that the balance of the teams supported each MAM candidate, that they had the necessary mentors to learn from and the objectives outlined in each training plan could be met. The programme is unique and motivates productions to create opportunities."

Through its success, the programme has evolved to help crew and productions across other screen sectors, with opportunities now available in animation, children’s TV, and film. In recent years, the Fund has expanded its reach, supporting over 100 freelancers on HETV-qualifying unscripted shows to step up. After 10 years, Make a Move continues to drive progression across the screen industry.