Channel 4 doubles 4Skills training and career development programme

UK pubcaster Channel 4 has doubled its 4Skills training and career development programme to £10m (US$13m) per year to boost production careers and strengthen regional production clusters across the nations and regions.

Alex Mahon

Within this is a two-year £6m programme called Accelerate, that will fully fund progression roles, aiming to build skills and retain production talent across the UK. Channel 4 said it will enable existing behind-the-camera talent in mid- and senior-level roles to gain experience and credits and to grow their careers in the cities where they live. The goal is to support the career development of more than 100 people.

4Skills will also launch an assistant commissioning editor programme in Channel 4’s hub cities and Leeds, which aims to “nurture the next generation of commissioning talent.”

Also under the initiative, Channel 4 plans to invest further in skills support for independent production companies in the nations and regions, offering training to support leadership and strengthen business skills. 4Skills will additionally partner with the national regional screen agencies to develop new series of scale with returning potential.

The news comes after the pubcaster earlier this week announced plans to actively recruit for positions in the UK’s nations and regions, in a bid to boost its strategy to reach 600 roles outside London.

That announcement came as regulator Ofcom increased Channel 4’s annual requirement for production spending and hours made in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales from 9% to 12%. The licence demands the broadcaster achieve this increased quota from 2030, although Channel 4’s CEO Alex Mahon said it will try to achieve 12% by 2028.

As it prepares to meet this target, the broadcaster has appointed Jo Street as director of commissioning for the nations and regions.

Street will continue in her existing role of head of lifestyle and head of hub in Glasgow, but will now also lead the expansion of investment in the nations and regions, working with indies across the UK to develop capacity while optimising Channel 4’s out-of-London commissioning hubs.

Channel 4’s chief content officer Ian Katz said: “We are determined to work with indies and screen agencies in the nations and regions to help producers build capacity and adapt to changing commissioning priorities. This will ensure we do not end up with a two-tier sector which sees London-based indies scooping up higher tariff shows and producers in the nations and regions left with only lower tariff production.”

Other measures under the initiative include appointing head of sport Pete Andrews as editorial head of hub in Leeds, joining existing Bristol editorial head Sacha Mirzoeff. Leeds-based Jayne Stranger is promoted to senior commissioning editor for lifestyle.

Channel 4 said key genre editorial leads will travel quarterly to engage with producers in the nations, communicate programming ambitions and actively develop stronger relationships.

Additionally, the pubcaster’s new nations and regions commissioning strategy aims to support production companies to grow to the point where they can export IP. It said this will bring in “vital revenues to the UK’s independent production sector, showcase the country’s culture and values abroad and contribute to the UK’s reputation across the world.”

Mahon said: “Our new commissioning approach reinforces our commitment to nurture and support the creative power of independent production companies. Together, we will build a bigger, better and more sustainable production capability in the nations and regions. We have made huge progress in the last five years, and we will not be letting up for a moment.”

Sinéad Rocks, MD of nations and regions at Channel 4, added: “We are doubling down on that commitment to nurture and grow the careers of existing and new talent across the country. Our expansive programme of measures will bolster the backbone of the UK’s production industry, providing much needed support to the brilliant people who make our industry world leading.”