He has been acting head of film at the UK training organisation - which rebranded at the beginning of this month from Skillset to Creative Skillset - since last April.

Dan Simmons has been appointed as Creative Skillset’s Head of Film. The UK training body changed its name at the beginning of April to “better reflect the bredth of industries it covers”.

Simmons, who has been acting head of film since April 2011 following the depature of Neil Peplow, will be tasked with overseeing delivery of the final year of its strategy A Bigger Future 2 which will run until April 2013, and has five priority areas: new technologies; creative talent; business skills; new trainees and; health and safety.

A Bigger Future 2 is currently funded annually by £3.65 million from the National Lottery via the BFI, plus £700,000 from industry via the voluntary levy on productions filmed in the UK, the Skills Investment Fund (SIF).

Simmons said: “With UK film and UK film talent enjoying high levels of critical and awards success around the world, and record levels of inward investment into the UK, this is a really exciting time to be involved in skills development for the UK film industry to help ensure we can sustain this momentum.