
Writing exclusively for TVBEurope, Carrie Wootten, co-founder of The Global Media and Entertainment Manifesto, details the need for the media tech industry to find a more diverse workforce who can plug the skills shortage
By Contributor
Published: August 8, 2024 Updated: August 9, 2024
Writing exclusively for TVBEurope, Carrie Wootten, co-founder of The Global Media and Entertainment Manifesto, details the need for the media tech industry to find a more diverse workforce who can plug the skills shortage
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> Writing exclusively for TVBEurope, Carrie Wootten, co-founder of The Global Media and Entertainment Manifesto, details the need for the media tech industry to find a more diverse workforce who can plug the skills shortage
https://www.tvbeurope.com/business/skills-and-diversity-arent-a-priority-right-now-why-the-media-technology-industry-needs-to-take-action title=Share via Email class=share-email>
This is a conversation I have had since the World Skills Caf was launched a few months ago. And although I don't agree with this statement, I do understand why it is being made. The precarious position the industry is in, alongside the rapid innovation and focus on technologies such as AI and cloud technology, is all-consuming for companies who are not only fighting to develop and embed these innovations but who are also simply trying to stay alive. The saying survive to 25' has been ringing in many people's ears for months now.
Companies are making people redundant, some in the glaring light of the industry, others more quietly, but either way the impact on people's lives is clear to see. Other businesses are looking at how AI can be implemented effectively and immediately to drive cost-savings across their pipelines, whilst some are just waiting for a greenlight commission, which currently seem very few and far between. And all of this is happening simultaneously during one of the biggest sporting summers.
Global Media & Entertainment Talent Manifesto aims to address media technology skills crisis
Simply put, there just isn't the headspace, budget or resources to focus on skills or diversity and inclusion as much as there was five years ago - perhaps even two years ago. However, juxtaposing this is the fact that within the recent IABM Talent Shortages in MediaTech report, 80 per cent of respondents stated that they were still finding it very difficult to recruit technical and engineering staff. That is a staggering figure, but a quick search on many companies' careers webpages will show you that this is indeed the case. The dichotomy is real and is being felt across the industry.
Furthermore, the Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre reported in early 2024 that over 90 per cent of people in the creative industries are white. In terms of managerial positions, 70 per cent are men, with only one per cent being black. And yet we know that diversity is vital for innovation, product development, and improving the bottom line. A McKinsey & Company study found that companies with more than 30 per cent female executives were more likely to outperform companies that only had between 10 to 30 per cent. In the case of ethnic and cultural diversity, the same survey found that top-quartile companies outperformed those in the fourth quartile by 36 per cent in profitability.
The current situation that the media technology industry finds itself in is a complex one but one that needs to be addressed head-on. We can't stop the push for a more diverse workforce, and we ignore the skills crisis at our peril. The lack of clarity around career pathways, learning & development, remuneration and technology convergence are huge factors that impact how attractive the industry is to the outside world and to others already in it. All of these issues directly affect the shortage of people within technical and engineering roles across the sector and explain why we see such high figures being collated in the IABM report. Alongside this, although the industry is now acutely aware of the lack of diversity across the sector with great strides being made around gender diversity over the last eight years, there is also a huge chasm when we look at other diversity characteristics and representation including, but not limited to, ethnic, disability, LGBTQ+ and socio-economic characteristics. It is time to change this and be honest about our shocking lack of representation in so many areas.
World Skills Caf The World Skills Caf will be a hands-on interactive session designed to understand and unpick some of these issues and critically ensure we have commitments from every person and company in the room that will see action taken over the next year. There will be time to understand at what levels of seniority we need more technical people, in what job roles and where geographically these gaps exist. In addition to this, we will also be looking at how we can attract and retain more diverse communities into our dynamic and brilliant industry. The solutions aren't going to be easy and one size won't fit all either. But this session will hopefully give everyone the time to discuss these issues in detail and provide the breathing space to really consider what actions and steps need to be taken and how we can work collectively together.
As I mentioned early on, I am very aware of the challenges that the industry is facing at the moment, but if we continue to cut funding, investment and support for skills and diversity, I have no doubt that the industry will be in a worse position and have taken a step back in its drive for a more diverse workforce.
If you would like to join the World Skills Caf on Thursday 12th September at IBC2024, RAI Amsterdam, you can register here: https://www.mediatalentmanifesto.com/
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
15/09/2025
Steve Zahn, Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, and Janeane Garofalo star in Ben Stiller&...
15/09/2025
Global K-Pop sensation aespa is redefining what it means to be rich with the r...
15/09/2025
Every day, millions of people around the world turn to Spotify to enjoy the audi...
15/09/2025
After months of intensive planning and implementation, Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic...
15/09/2025
A U.S. Marine launches a Javelin shoulder-fired anti-tank missile during a training exercise. (Photo credit: U.S. Marine Corps)...
15/09/2025
AMSTERDAM TV Tech has named its Best of Show Awards winners for IBC2025, which wraps up today. Entrants were judged by a panel of industry experts on the criter...
15/09/2025
Unique sports content orchestration platform builds momentum among SES's cus...
15/09/2025
Paris, France - September 15, 2025 -- Space42 (ADX: SPACE42), the UAE-based AI-p...
15/09/2025
Back to All News
The Great Flood' Teaser Trailer Previews A Gripping Struggle for Survival
Entertainment
15 September 2025
GlobalSouth Korea
Link copi...
15/09/2025
Back to All News
From Hardship to Hope: Typhoon Family' Presents a Tale of...
15/09/2025
Back to All News
Gloom Goes Global as Wednesday's' The Doom Tour Hit...
15/09/2025
-- Opens door to growth in renewable energy New Delhi, India - 15th September -- Global business and industry leaders from around the world are joining technol...
14/09/2025
Partnership to address business and technical challenges of DMF adoption
he Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU...
14/09/2025
WARNER BROS. TELEVISION'S THE PITT (HBO MAX) WINS FIVE EMMY AWARDS, INCLU...
14/09/2025
Back to All News
Mantis' Trailer Previews High-Stakes Rivalries to Be No. ...
13/09/2025
ATLANTA Cox Media Group has announced that the company's vice president of news, Misty Turnbull has been inducted into the National Academy of Television Ar...
13/09/2025
AMSTERDAM Shotoku Broadcast Systems, a major developer of robotic systems, has announced plans to take studio robotics to the next level at IBC2025 by debuting ...
13/09/2025
At IBC2025 in Amsterdam, Riedel Communications unveiled Bolero Mini, the company's lightest and flattest wireless intercom beltpack to date. Designed to del...
13/09/2025
Shotoku Broadcast Systems, the international developer of dependable, userfriendly robotic systems, is taking studio robotics to the next level at IBC 2025 with...
13/09/2025
Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming solutions, today released the 9th annual Video Developer Report 2025/26, offering an in-depth look at the evolvi...
13/09/2025
Bitmovin, the leading provider of video streaming solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with StreamShark, the trusted video platform for enterprise...
13/09/2025
Ikegami has chosen IBC 2025 in Amsterdam as the launch venue for a major addition to its range of viewfinders. The new VFE-P711AD is a 7-inch high resolution OL...
13/09/2025
Founder-led Merger to Fast Track R&D, Asset Library Upgrades, Tools and More; No Disruption to Pricing or Support for Users
Today, KitBash3D, a pioneer in 3D a...
13/09/2025
With NDI certification, Atomos integration, Grass Valley collaboration, and a new Monitor app, at this year's IBC, Mavis is showcasing a series of powerful...
13/09/2025
Creamsource, maker of artisan LED lighting for film and television, has unveiled the Vortex24 Soft (V24S), a 1950W native soft light and the largest soft source...
13/09/2025
When international sports streaming service DAZN secured the global rights to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup football tournament, it set out to deliver an unmatch...
13/09/2025
Riedel Communications today announced the acquisition of hi human interface from Broadcast Solutions, bringing a powerful, vendor-agnostic control system to it...
13/09/2025
Building on its long-term relationship with audio metering specialist RTW, Calrec has integrated the company's brand new TMxCore metering platform across it...
13/09/2025
Calrec is expanding its family of future-ready self-contained Argo M control surfaces at IBC2025, with the addition of a brand new powerful 48-fader console. Co...
13/09/2025
Celtic languages - including Cornish, Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh - are the U.K.'s oldest living languages. To empower their speakers, the UK-LLM sover...
13/09/2025
Harmonic's Software-Based XOS Advanced Media Processor Provides Unparalleled Efficiency and Unlocks New Business Models SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 13, 2025 -...
13/09/2025
Researchers find brain region that fuels compulsive drinking Study by Scripps Research scientists shows how the brain learns to seek alcohol for relief, not jus...
12/09/2025
College Football Kickoff 2025: Fox Sports Ups Look as Canon, Sony Power Shallow ...
12/09/2025
ABC/ESPN Excited For WNBA Postseason Coverage In Revamped FormatThe Finals moves to a best-of-seven series in 2025By Mark J Burns, SVG Contributor
Friday, Sep...
12/09/2025
(L-R) Jade Croot, Rosy McEwen, and Bryn Chainey attend the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Rabbit Trap at Eccles Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park ...
12/09/2025
For fans, we know how important it is to stay plugged into music culture and dis...
12/09/2025
Link ping, Sweden and Shipley, United Kingdom, September 12, 2025 - Agama, the expert in video observability and analytics for service quality and customer expe...
12/09/2025
IBC2025 began on Sept. 12, with exhibits and conferences running through Sept. 15 at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center. Explore the full TV Tech coverage of t...
12/09/2025
The Best Fictional Bands (and the Artists Who Make Them Great) With Spinal Tap II: The End Continues hitting theaters and songs from KPop Demon Hunters ruling...
12/09/2025
Industry veteran Tom Baldassare has joined Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, as a Se...
12/09/2025
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, and more, today announced a...
12/09/2025
PlayBox Neo, a leading provider of media playout solutions, has partnered with AI-Media, pioneering developers of AI-powered captioning technology, to integrate...
12/09/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
12/09/2025
New alliance strengthens the IT channel in Germany and Switzerland in protecting business-critical SaaS data.
Keepit, the world s only independent, cloud-nativ...
12/09/2025
Fincons Group, an international IT business consultancy and systems integrator company with more than 40 years of experience in the market, is proud to announce...
12/09/2025
Following its acquisition of Telemetrics, EVS continues its push into robotics with an announcement at IBC2025 that it is acquiring XD motion....
12/09/2025
TORONTO The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) has announced the appointment of Eduardo Ruiz Sanchez, deputy director, broadcast operations at Telev...
12/09/2025
Ed Miller, a longtime broadcast engineer in Ohio and a former national president of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, has died....