UK creative industries get $27.5m skills investment

The UK government is to match-fund creative industry investment in skills training to the tune of £16m ($27.5m) as part of a new strategy unveiled today by Business Secretary Vince Cable.

The strategy, designed to grow the Creative Industries and boost skills, will see the launch of a host of new training schemes including a specialist studio management diploma run by Pinewood Studios; a Manchester-based ITV soaps training programme for new trainees working on long-running shows Coronation Street and Emmerdale; and an Oxford-based publishing training programme.

The drive, an initiative between Government and the Creative Industries Council (CIC) - a collective of creative industries executives which is co-chaired by Facebook executive Nicola Mendelsohn, Cable and DCMS Secretary Sajid Javid - follows a successful bid by creative industry employers, led by Channel 4, and skills organisation Creative Skillset.

The collective identifies five priority areas to the future success of the sector: education and skills; access to finance; infrastructure; intellectual property; and international (exports and inward investment).

Channel 4 CEO David Abraham said: “With over 500 industry partners involved, this is the largest collaboration ever achieved across the creative industries.

“We’ve looked at the bigger picture and come together to form a strategic partnership that will benefit tens of thousands of people and help enhance their careers for many years to come.

“This is a joint venture between employers, trade unions, Local Enterprise Partnerships and training and education providers, which as well as opening doors within what are often considered difficult to access industries, will also help raise standards across the creative industries.” 

Cable said: “The creative industries play a key role in the UK economy. British fashion designers, publishers, software developers, TV and filmmakers have put the UK on the world map with their creative talent.

“They have also played a big part in driving our economic recovery. UK creative industries generate £71bn in revenue each year and support 1.71 million jobs.

“We are committed to helping this vital sector grow. Developing the skills of the creative workforce lies at the heart of this.”

The creative industries generated £71 billion gross value added in 2012 – a 9.4% increase between 2011 and 2012 that surpasses the growth of any other UK industry sector.

Amanda Nevill, CEO at the British Film Institute (BFI), said of the news: “With collaboration at its core, film brings together a range of creative practitioners, from writers, directors and actors to designers, technicians and musicians, so we welcome this ambitious and collaborative strategy to unite our creative sectors and drive future growth across Britain’s creative industries and the economy as a whole.

“We welcome today’s emphases on education and skills development, growing sustainable businesses, maximising the value of creative IP, driving forward an international agenda focused on export and inward investment, and enhancing the UK’s communications infrastructure to ensure the UK remains competitive on the world stage.

“As we’ve seen through our work in China, culture opens doors around the world and offers opportunities for new international engagement with benefits for a range of UK businesses – this strategy offers an exciting opportunity to capitalise on success and put the creative industries at the heart of the UK’s growth agenda, and we look forward to ensuring film plays an energetic role in driving the strategy forward in the coming months and years.”