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Nearly One Million Young People Locked Out of Creative Careers
Production Futures Moves to Change That
Talent Doesn’t Just Sit in Classrooms, Production Futures Challenges Traditional Career Pathways
Production Futures Doubles Down on Widening Access for Industry Newcomers in 2026
After enjoying another busy and highly productive year in 2025, Production Futures is keen to increase momentum through 2026 by working to further expand access to the production industries for young people outside the scope of ‘traditional’ pathways. In addition to its work with schools and colleges, the organization (which was founded to create opportunities for young people to learn, train, network and develop real careers in every sector of the production industries) is seeking to open doors to the home-education community, as well as those between the ages of 16 and 24 not currently in education, employment, or training (NEETs).
Hannah Eakins of Production Futures is determined to ensure that opportunities are not denied to those who are outside the mainstream:
“At this moment there are almost a million young people in the UK categorised at NEETs, with a further 100,000-plus in the home-education community. Talent and ambition doesn’t just reside in schools and colleges - it’s there in abundance across the full spectrum of young people - so we need to make sure that any obstacles to accessing our industry are removed. We want to widen our reach and place career opportunities squarely in front of those who have previously been seen as hard-to-reach. The truth is that they are under-served, and we aim to change that.”
Through its ever-growing online community platform, social media engagement, and the support of its valued industry partners, the Production Futures team is aiming to ensure that young people from every background can access creative careers in a multi-billion pound industry where significant skills shortages mean that opportunities for talented individuals are many.
Production Futures free-of-charge ON TOUR live events play a key role in connecting potential talent to the industry, with representatives of world-leading manufacturers, supply and production companies, venues and distributors, available to provide advice, information and insights, and discuss specific job and training opportunities. Forthcoming events at London’s Roundhouse on March 9th, and Manchester AO Arena on April 20th are set to attract large numbers of interested newcomers, many of whom, Production Futures hope, will come from previously under-represented sections of the community.
“The AO Arena is proud to support the ever-growing Production Futures community and its mission to widen access to careers in live events. Creating clear, visible pathways into the industry is vital for inspiring the next generation. By connecting young people with real opportunities, skills and industry insight, initiatives like Production Futures help ensure our sector remains diverse, skilled and future-ready.”
The events have received the explicit support of Mayors Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham, who recognise the value of focusing on the broadest range of young talent:
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: "Greater Manchester has a proud history of creativity and innovation in live events and production. It’s fantastic to see Production Futures returning to the AO Arena, opening doors for our young people to develop the skills and careers that will keep our city at the forefront of this exciting industry."
