Skills can redress diversity imbalance

The conference, which included speakers Baroness Oona King, BBC director of television Danny Cohen and actors Lenny Henry and Kwame Kwei-Armah, revealed that “urgent action was demanded across a range of issues including skills and training”.

O’Connor added: “We need clarity and accountability on how this will happen. Skills and training is just one area that will help to redress the imbalance and Creative Skillset is one of the organisations responsible to make this happen.”

A key theme to emerge was the need to focus on mid-level and senior managers, rather than concentrating solely on new entrant schemes, resulting in a diverse workforce that is involved in decision- making at all levels.

“We will help develop ways to make the industry more open, fair and transparent with more apprentices, more paid internships and new funding structures to target support. It needs commitment from the whole industry to look at wider employment practices,” she said.

Creative Skillset said it would review its strategies, working alongside the Creative Diversity Network (CDN), to include management and leadership training as well as fast-track programmes.

Another central theme was the need for greater collaboration between industry bodies and employers, and Creative Skillset will launch an online professional skills network in early 2014.

Chief executive Dinah Caine said: “We have already begun work on this online platform but will take the suggestions made by industry at Diversify to expand it further. It will create communities to keep people connected. It will offer mentoring, promote fair internships and we will use it to widen the reach of our Trainee Finder programme.”

The organisation also pledged to continue monitoring diversity in the industry as well as the impact of its own programmes, and to help identify why under-represented groups are leaving the industry.

O’Connor acknowledged the frustration that this was a “recurring debate” and urged the industry to “act now”.