The South Australian screen industry now has a blueprint for training and recruiting its future workforce.
The South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) has launched an industry-led workforce development strategy to support the growth of the state’s world-class screen industry and maximise the opportunity for South Australia to secure a greater share of national and international screen production activity.
The SA Screen Industry Workforce Development Strategy presents a plan to attract, retain, train and sustain talent to the screen sector across live-action, animation, XR, game development, post-production and visual effects.
“A thriving screen industry holds significant creative, cultural and economic benefits for the whole state,” says Arts Minister Andrea Michaels.
SAFC CEO Kate Croser adds: “The SAFC is proud to coordinate this new joint strategy with our partners to increase South Australia’s screen workforce capacity and future-proof our industry. The SA Screen Industry Workforce Development Strategy, in conjunction with attractive State Government incentives and a sophisticated screen ecosystem, will provide the opportunity for South Australia to capitalize on a surge in global and domestic screen production.”
The strategy follows other recent successful workforce development initiatives including:
- The pilot of Australia’s first screen sector micro-credential training program Skilling SA, supported by the State Government through the former Department for Innovation and Skills (DIS)
- The expansion of the agency’s Professional Crew Attachments and Targeted Diversity Attachments schemes with funding from Screen Australia to double on-set placements from six to 12 weeks, and
- The Channel 44 First Nations Internship Program providing hands-on training and mentoring for emerging First Nations screen creatives.
South Australia has experienced significant growth in screen production levels in recent years. In 2021/22, a total of $144 million was spent in SA on drama production and post-production (Screen Australia’s National Drama Report). That is the state’s second highest on record.
In response, South Australia’s screen workforce has more than tripled in the six years to 2020, supporting 2,297 full-time jobs.
Read more about the SA Screen Industry Workforce Development Strategy here.
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Image: Brad Halstead
