Trainee Finder is a new entrant training programme that offers both training and paid placements in film and television.

After last year’s successful pilot scheme, the Children’s TV Skills Fund, Film Skills Fund and High-end TV Skills Fund will continue to deliver the ScreenSkills Trainee Finder programme, creating access to a wide range of training opportunities across the UK for people that want to work in film and TV.

ScreenSkills Trainee Finder is an entry-level placement programme that places trainees on children’s, film and high-end TV productions across the UK to ensure a continued supply of talent, capable of making world-class creative content. Participants become part of an industry-recognised group of trainees and receive exclusive access to training placements in UK.

In previous years trainees have been placed on productions including Hamnet (which included members of the Film Devon Crew Network), The Fantastic Four: First Steps, The Thursday Murder Club, Adolescence, and 2025 comedy hit The Roses, which was filmed in Salcombe, Devon and the production included local crew.

For this current intake, ScreenSkills Trainee Finder is looking for trainees that are interested in a career in the following film and television departments:

• Accounts
• Art department
• Assistant director/ floor runner
• Camera
• Costume
• Editing
• Hair and Make-up
• Locations
• Production Office
• Sound
• Video Assist and DIT

Eligibility Criteria

ScreenSkills are looking for talented individuals from across the UK who have less than 12 months of paid production experience in their chosen department. You do not need to have any on-set experience to apply, but need to show enthusiasm for the department you wish to work in and demonstrate skills that align with the trainee role you are applying to.

You must be able to clearly demonstrate a passion and commitment for working in the industry as well as for your job role of choice, by providing evidence of one or more of the following:

• looking for / finding paid or unpaid work experience
• working to obtain department-specific skills
• suitable transferable skills for your selected department – for example, from other creative sectors such as theatre, music, photography, and commercial production, or from roles in other sectors such as business administration, event management, or hair and make-up applicants with salon experience

Applicants must:

• Be over 18 years old – there is no upper age limit
• Live in the UK
• Have evidence of the right to work full-time in the UK for at least the duration of the programme (1 April 2026 – 31 March 2027)
• Have completed full-time education by 31 March 2026– there are no education requirements to be on Trainee Finder. However, if you are enrolled in full-time education you are not eligible for this programme as you will not be available to complete placements
• Have less than 12 months, of relevant, paid production experience in their chosen department. Industry experience is not a requirement for Trainee Finder
• Be open and flexible to considering opportunities across the UK
• Demonstrate an interest in and commitment to their chosen department
• Be committed to attending training sessions and industry events organised by ScreenSkills throughout the 12 months

This Trainee Finder programme will start on the 1st April 2026 and run until the 31st March 2027.  During the year ScreenSkills will endeavour to find and secure placements for trainees of between 4 – 20 weeks.

If you’re interested in applying head to the ScreenSkills website for details on how to apply.  Applications close at 2pm on Wednesday 29th October 2025.

Image credit: ScreenSkills (Trainee, Jade Walton, on set of Borges and Me)