Seetha Kumar to Step Down as CEO of ScreenSkills

Kumar was appointed in 2015 and led the organisation through its transformation from Creative Skillset to ScreenSkills in 2018.

During her tenure, ScreenSkills’ six Skills Funds have delivered a portfolio of training programmes and initiatives in response to industry demand.

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These include Trainee Finder, offering paid placements in animation, children’s, film and high-end television; the creation of the Unscripted TV Skills Fund in 2021; and the Future Film Skills programme.

More recently, ScreenSkills has called for fundamental reform of the apprenticeship levy in the UK and how apprenticeships are applied for the sector in England, and has published a Diversity and Inclusion Playbook, making recommendations to create, support and retain a more inclusive sectoral workforce.

Richard Johnston, chair of the ScreenSkills Board, said: “Under her leadership, ScreenSkills has delivered two significant achievements. First, it has brought the screen industries together, encouraging them to collaborate and work collectively as never before for the benefit of the thousands of people working in screen. Second, ScreenSkills has made it its mission not only to ensure that the screen industries are open to everyone, regardless of their background or level of educational attainment, but that they have continued access to lifelong training and development opportunities.”

Kumar said: “I am incredibly proud of everything that ScreenSkills has achieved during my tenure, and of all my colleagues, past and present, who have worked so tirelessly to make a positive difference to the careers and lives of people across the screen and creative industries regardless of who they are, or where they have come from.”

ScreenSkills will start the search for her replacement shortly.

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