Bectu member, Sara Hamilton, has been awarded Scottish Union Learning’s prestigious Learner of the Year title for 2026. Sara was presented with the award this week by John Swinney, First Minister for Scotland during STUC Congress 2026 at the Caird Hall in Dundee.
BECTU Vision are pleased to share that Sara Hamilton has been awarded Scottish Union Learning’s Scottish Learner of the Year award 2026.
Sara was presented with the award this week by First Minister John Swinney at the STUC Congress 2026, at the Caird Hall in Dundee.
An outstanding achievement within the community, the award highlights Sara’s exceptional commitment to personal and professional development, and demonstrates the transformative power of lifelong learning within the creative industries.
Trade union-led learning has the power to change lives in ways that extend far beyond the completion of any single course, providing individuals with the confidence, support, and skills they need to unlock new career pathways, transform their working lives, and inspire others. Few journeys illustrate this better than the learning path taken by Sara Hamilton.
Breaking into the Industry
From her early steps trying to break into the highly competitive film and television industry during the height of the pandemic, to her leadership role today shaping sustainability practices for Scotland’s screen sector, Sara’s trajectory shows how trade union-led learning can open doors, build careers, and empower individuals to contribute meaningfully to their industries.
Like many new film and television entrants, Sara found breaking into paid employment in the screen sector difficult. She connected with the BECTU Vision Team through networking events and a 1:1 advice session which led to her participation in Hit the Ground Running, BECTU Vision’s flagship training course for industry newcomers.
Over the following years, Sara embraced further learning opportunities through BECTU Vision with remarkable dedication, strengthening her skills, broadening her opportunities, and allowing her to step into more advanced roles. The training included a variety of Scottish Union Learning funded short courses such as Excel, BSL and Finance for Freelancers as well as the Screen Scotland funded Productions Skills Programme.
Pioneering the Sustainability Coordinator role
Sara’s passion for sustainability emerged as a defining feature of her career – she actively sought ways to improve environmental performance on set, providing feedback for the development of the Film Bang Reuse Hub, and helping colleagues to adopt more sustainable practices.
As a result of her commitment in advocating for greener ways of working on set, she became one of the first Sustainability Coordinators in Scotland.
From Learner to Leader
Building on her experience, Sara has recently progressed to secure a position as Screen Sustainability Consultant. Working with Culture for Climate Scotland, she has played a key role in the development of new training for Sustainability Coordinators as well as guidelines and resources that will soon be published to support screen productions across Scotland.
From her first steps to break into the industry to delivering Screen Sustainability Coordinator training, Sara’s journey from trainee to trainer has come full circle and encapsulates the power of union led learning.
Find out more about sustainability practises in the Film & TV industry here: bectuvision.org/support/sustainability/
BECTU Vision is supported by Screen Scotland, BBC, and Scottish Union Learning in partnership with Bectu.
