24 schemes, 11 open for applications right now. Each one checked on the organiser’s own page rather than picked up from an article. A scheme that is shut still sits here, because knowing it is shut and when it comes back is usually the thing you need.
UK film industry schemes
Every scheme we track, with who each one is for, the criteria, and whether it is open.
Open for applications 11
ScreenSkillsFinal deadline 28 October 2026Trainee Finder
An entry-level programme that places trainees on UK film, high-end TV and children's TV productions, with training and industry events through the year. The biggest entry scheme in the country.
- Who it’s for
- People over 18 who live in the UK and have less than 12 months of paid production experience in their chosen department. No on-set experience is needed, and there is no upper age limit.
- Criteria
- Eleven departments: accounts, art department, assistant director or floor runner, camera, costume, edit, hair and make-up, locations, production office, sound, and video assist and DIT. You need the right to work full time in the UK from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2028, must have finished full-time education by 31 March 2027, and must attend all four online induction days (13, 14, 20 and 21 March 2027). Placements are at least four weeks but are not guaranteed.
- When
- Applications for Trainee Finder 2027-28 are open now and close at 2pm on 28 October 2026. You need a ScreenSkills profile to apply. The programme runs from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2028.
Screen YorkshireFinal deadline 2 November 2026Yorkshire's Screen Diversity Programme
A part-time, four-week Skills Bootcamp in Harrogate that takes you through the whole production process, from development and filming to the edit, with taster workshops across the departments and a one-day shoot with industry professionals. Help with CVs, interviews and finding a first job comes with it.
- Who it’s for
- People aged 19 or over who live in York and North Yorkshire and have not done a Skills Bootcamp in the last 12 months. No screen experience or qualifications are needed, and graduates and career changers are welcome. Screen Yorkshire particularly encourages applicants from groups under-represented in film and television.
- Criteria
- You must attend the introductory day and every in-person workshop, three days a week from 11 January to 3 February 2027, and be available for freelance or other screen work within six months of finishing. You can write your answers or record them on video.
- When
- Applications for the January 2027 programme are open now and close at 12pm on Monday 2 November 2026. Places are offered from the week of 7 December; if you have not heard by the end of December, you have not been offered one.
Sara Putt AssociatesFinal deadline 24 January 2027Sara Putt Associates Trainee Scheme
Ten Saturdays of training with a leading crew agency, for people who have started but are not established yet.
- Who it’s for
- Two professional credits but under three years' cumulative experience, in Camera, Sound, Edit, Production Office, Art, Costume, AD, Script Supervisor, Locations, or Hair and Make-Up.
- Criteria
- UK resident with the right to work in the UK. You cannot be in education when the scheme starts. There is a mandatory induction day (date to be confirmed) costing £150 including VAT.
- When
- Applications are open now for the 2027 scheme and close on Sunday 24 January 2027 at 23:59. If you haven't heard back by 31 March 2027, your application was unsuccessful.
BFIOpen nowBFI NETWORK
Short film and early feature development funding, plus professional development and networking, for filmmakers at the start of their careers.
- Who it’s for
- Writers, directors and producers aged 18 and over, at an early stage, anywhere in the UK.
- Criteria
- Run with film organisations and cultural venues across the UK, so what is open and when depends on your nation or region.
- When
- Runs all year through BFI NETWORK teams across the UK, each with its own opportunities and deadlines. The England Early Development Fund for debut feature projects is open now.
North East ScreenOpen nowBridge to Industry Initiative
North East Screen's way in for people with no contacts in the region: events, CV help, shadowing, and part-funded placements on productions actually shooting in the North East.
- Who it’s for
- People who want to work in film and TV in the North East of England.
- Criteria
- You must have a North East postcode, be over 18, not be in full-time education, be available to work on a production, and be registered on the North East Screen Crew Database. Before you apply you complete three ScreenSkills courses (Tackling Bullying and Harassment at Work, Introduction to Mental Health Awareness at Work, Introduction to Sustainability for the Screen Industries) and send the certificates, and tailor your Crew Database CV.
- When
- Open all year. You apply when you are ready through the online form, rather than in a window.
Creative AccessOpen nowCreative Access
Paid internships and jobs across the creative industries, plus career development and mentoring once you are in - they placed their first trainee on the set of Kick-Ass 2 back in 2012.
- Who it’s for
- People from communities historically underrepresented in the creative industries.
- Criteria
- They work across film, TV, publishing, journalism, theatre, advertising, museums and galleries, so the film and TV roles sit alongside others - worth filtering when you look.
- When
- Roles go up on their opportunities board as employers post them, so it is a site to check regularly rather than one with a yearly deadline.
Film LondonOpen nowEqual Access Network
A free network built to take the barriers out of getting into film and TV, with training and industry contact behind it.
- Who it’s for
- New entrants, returners, mid-level professionals, and anyone changing career into film and TV.
- Criteria
- Free to join and open to all. No credits needed.
- When
- Open all year. You can join at any time through the Join Here link on Film London's page.
ITVOpen nowITV Academy
ITV's own set of ways in to production - traineeships, apprenticeships, graduate schemes, paid placements and work experience, inside one of the world's largest commercial production companies.
- Who it’s for
- People at the very start, from school leavers to graduates. The apprenticeship route gets you a recognised qualification while you work on the shows.
- Criteria
- Several routes: Production Training Schemes, Apprenticeships, Graduate Training Schemes, Paid Placements and Work Experience. The apprenticeship programme runs eighteen months across a variety of production areas.
- When
- Routes open at different times of year. Right now the page lists the ITV Academy News Traineeship 2027 and an Emmerdale trainee costume assistant role as open, with no closing date shown.
National Film and Television SchoolOpen nowNFTS Short Courses
Short, practical courses from the NFTS - and a free strand of bootcamps and taster days that does not need a degree or a fee.
- Who it’s for
- Mostly people already working in film and TV who want a particular skill. The free bootcamps and taster days are the part worth knowing about if you are starting out.
- Criteria
- Courses run at Beaconsfield, in London, online and at NFTS North, Wales and Scotland, from a single day to ten days, covering production, producing, directing, writing, editing and documentary. The free Bootcamps, Taster Days and online Step-Up Programmes run as part of BFI Metro London Skills Cluster Training.
- When
- Courses run all year with their own dates and places, listed in date order on their page; the next start on 21 October 2026.
Mark Milsome FoundationOpen nowPSA1 Health and Safety Passport
The ScreenSkills-accredited on-set health and safety course, run by the foundation set up in Mark Milsome's name after he was killed on set. Productions increasingly expect it before you arrive.
- Who it’s for
- Anyone going onto a set, at any level - and especially anyone about to do it for the first time.
- Criteria
- ScreenSkills-accredited. The foundation also mentors, supports and helps employ trainees alongside the course.
- When
- Open now: the foundation's site invites you to take the PSA1 online course, certified by ScreenSkills.
Northern Ireland ScreenOpen nowSkills and Training programmes
Northern Ireland Screen runs one of the widest sets of entry routes of any UK screen agency - placements, traineeships and shadowing, not just funding.
- Who it’s for
- People starting out in Northern Ireland, across production, craft and technical roles, animation and Irish-language and Ulster-Scots broadcasting.
- Criteria
- Their skills page carries the Company Placement Scheme, Trainee Opportunities, Production Craft and Technical Skills Trainees, the Animation Undergraduate and Graduate Placement Scheme, the Director and Producer Shadowing Scheme, the Puttnam Scholarship, Research Ready, and USBF and ILBF training. Each one has its own criteria on that page.
- When
- Programmes open at different points in the year - their skills page is the one to watch, and they run a newsletter.
Shut right now, and when they come back 13
BAFTANot open right nowBAFTA Connect
A discounted BAFTA membership built for people early in a screen career - the room, the events and the directory, at a price that is meant to be reachable.
- Who it’s for
- People already working in film, games or TV at an emerging or mid-level, based in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or North America.
- Criteria
- A discounted membership tier, renewable for up to three years. It is for people who are in the industry rather than trying to get in, so it is the step after your first credits.
- When
- Applications are shut. BAFTA say they are reopening later this year and have a register-your-interest list on the page - join that rather than checking back.
BFINot open right nowBFI Film Academy
The BFI's UK-wide training programme for young people taking their first steps towards working in film, run through local hubs so there is one near you.
- Who it’s for
- 16 to 25 year olds looking to start a career in film and television.
- Criteria
- Local hubs offer skills, industry contact and career support for 16 to 25 year olds; the BFI's own training courses are for 18 to 22 year olds.
- When
- The BFI says a new Film Academy programme is coming and to watch for announcements. Sign up for BFI Film Academy emails, or find your local hub, to hear first.
CrewHQ, at Warner Bros. Studios LeavesdenNot open right nowCrewHQ Trainee Programme
A route onto the productions actually filming at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, with the chance to interview for paid trainee placements on them.
- Who it’s for
- People aged 18 or over, with the right to work in the UK, who want an entry-level below-the-line job in film or TV production at Leavesden. No qualifications or experience are needed.
- Criteria
- You meet productions currently filming and become eligible to interview for trainee placements on Warner Bros. Discovery productions. CrewHQ support trainees with guidance and with the cost of training travel and accommodation.
- When
- Applications are closed. The last round closed on 25 August 2025 and the page does not yet give dates for the next one.
Film Distributors' AssociationNot open right nowFilm Industry Paid Trainee Scheme
An nine-month paid traineeship inside a UK film distributor - the side of the industry almost nobody tells you about, and one of the few paid routes into it.
- Who it’s for
- New entrants to the film industry: no more than twelve months of industry work behind you, paid or unpaid, continuous or not.
- Criteria
- UK resident and eligible to work in the UK. Most placements are in London. The scheme aims to recruit most trainees from groups under-represented in UK film, such as cultural, socio-economic and disabled groups.
- When
- The last round ran from June 2025 to March 2026 and no newer round is on the page yet. Trainees work full time in a distributor for about nine months on the London Living Wage, with training days alongside.
Sky Studios ElstreeNot open right nowFuture Talent at Sky Studios Elstree
Paid twelve-month placements on site at Sky's Elstree studios, inside a working studio operation rather than watching one.
- Who it’s for
- School leavers and graduates who want to start a career in film and TV at a working studio. There is also a separate three-day work experience programme for 16 to 19 year olds at Hertfordshire schools and colleges, run with Futures For All.
- Criteria
- The Future Talent placements are paid and last twelve months, based at Sky Studios Elstree.
- When
- Applications for the 2026 Future Talent Programme are closed, and the next round's dates are not posted yet. The 16 to 19 work experience dates go up on the Futures For All site.
Guild of British Camera TechniciansNot open right nowGBCT Camera Trainee Scheme
The camera department's own trainee route, run by the Guild of British Camera Technicians. It is on hold, and the reason they give is worth reading if camera is your plan.
- Who it’s for
- People wanting to start in the camera department.
- Criteria
- Not open. The GBCT put the programme on hold rather than run it into a saturated market.
- When
- On hold until further notice. The Guild paused it because of the state of the industry and the oversaturation of entry-level crew in the camera department. It plans short courses instead, and you can register interest on the page.
The Grierson TrustNot open right nowGrierson DocLab: New Entrants
The way into documentary and factual TV for people with no experience at all - training, a paid placement at a production company, a mentor and a trip to Sheffield DocFest, with every cost covered.
- Who it’s for
- UK-based, aged 18 to 25, new to the industry. No prior TV or film experience needed, and you do not need to have studied film or TV.
- Criteria
- Up to 12 trainees a year get training, including an in-person residential and online sessions, and a work placement at a production company. It especially welcomes applicants from under-represented backgrounds.
- When
- Runs once a year over about a year; the 12 trainees for 2026 have been chosen, so watch the page for the next round. Supported by National Geographic and Banijay UK.
MAMA Youth ProjectNot open right nowMAMA Youth Project
A BAFTA-winning charity that trains young people with hands-on production work and puts them in front of employers.
- Who it’s for
- Aged 18 to 30, from underrepresented backgrounds, and particularly those with limited access to education and employment.
- Criteria
- Free. Practical, hands-on training for careers in TV and media, with real production experience rather than classroom work.
- When
- Runs training in cohorts; the site shows no open programme or deadline right now.
Ffilm Cymru WalesNot open right nowProduction Training Placements
Paid training placements for aspiring crew on film productions shooting in Wales - one of the few schemes that puts you on a real Welsh production and pays you.
- Who it’s for
- Aspiring crew in Wales wanting a paid placement on a film production.
- Criteria
- Paid at the National Living Wage on film productions in Wales. They also run Foot In The Door: Film Skills Fest Newport, a four week festival of free film industry training with Newport City Council.
- When
- No placements are listed at the moment and the page gives no dates. Watch the Production Training Placements page for the next opportunities.
Channel 4 (4Skills)Not open right nowProduction Training Scheme
Channel 4's own paid route into making programmes: a twelve-month, full-time, paid trainee job as a researcher or production coordinator.
- Who it’s for
- People at the very start of a TV production career who may face barriers to getting in. You are not eligible with more than three months' industry experience in total.
- Criteria
- Full time and paid for twelve months. After a one-week TV Boot Camp you work as a Trainee Production Coordinator or Trainee Researcher at a partner production company, which employs you. You need to live near the placement for the whole year, and no film or TV degree is needed.
- When
- Applications for 2026 are closed. Sign up for alerts on the page to hear when the next round opens.
Screen ScotlandNot open right nowTalent Development programmes
Screen Scotland's route for the next generation of Scottish filmmakers, built around Talent Builder - six linked initiatives rather than one scheme.
- Who it’s for
- People developing a filmmaking career in Scotland, with a separate programme for the Highlands and Islands.
- Criteria
- Talent Builder runs six integrated initiatives to develop Scottish filmmaking talent. Skills Development Programmes, including the Highlands and Islands Training Programme, are listed separately and link to their own pages.
- When
- Individual programmes open at different times. Right now the named programmes, including Little Pictures (closed 9 September 2026), are closed.
BAFTANot open right nowUK Scholarship Programme
Real money towards studying film, games or TV, plus mentoring and free access to BAFTA events - one of the few schemes that pays your course fees rather than your travel.
- Who it’s for
- Talented UK nationals taking an eligible UK undergraduate or postgraduate course in film, games or TV.
- Criteria
- Postgraduates get up to 12,000 pounds a year towards fees, to a maximum of 20,000 across two years. Undergraduates get a contribution towards living costs, and on three or four year courses only those going into their second, third or fourth year can apply. Every scholar also gets mentoring and free access to BAFTA events.
- When
- Applications are closed. It runs yearly, and the eligible-course list is published on the same page before each round.
Wall to Wall North and Rope Ladder Fiction, with Screen ManchesterNot open right nowWaterloo Road Production Development Trainee Scheme
A paid traineeship on a returning BBC drama in the North - the kind of placement that puts a real credit on your CV.
- Who it’s for
- People aged 18 or over who live in Greater Manchester and want to work in scripted drama production.
- Criteria
- A paid, full-time 19-week placement on the series, with seven places. Selection includes an in-person Skills Training Day and interviews. Departments include costume, hair and make-up, art, assistant directors, camera, sound and post production.
- When
- Applications for 2026/27 closed on 7 August 2026, and the trainees start in late September. Dates for a 2027/28 round are not posted.
