Although difficult to identify due to high levels of freelancing in the industry, current skills gaps and shortages are significant for companies in television.

Continuing skills shortages have been reported for vision mixers, broadcast engineers, experienced technical operators and people with wide interactive knowledge and skills.

Skills gaps are of particular concern in business skills, commercial awareness and management and leadership.  Two thirds of employers practical and communication skills gaps.  A quarter of employers identified skills gaps which were a result of failure to train and lack of employee motivation.

Health and safety is a priority concern as specialist high-end creative and technical skills  constantly need updating.

Technological and structural changes have led to a continuing trend towards multi-skilling.

The demand for the "traditional" specialist craft and technical occupations, like lighting, sound and editing, will continue.  The shift to digital has created an on-going need to up-skill the existing workforce and develop its understanding of the implications of technological developments for programme making.

Source: Skillset 2005a