A new £6 million investment, announced today, will help the UK’s creative industries contribute to economic growth by ensuring they have the skilled workforce they need to compete in a fast-moving world market.
The new money, announced by the Chancellor in his Autumn Statement,
will be used to provide entry-level and professional-level training for
up to 3,300 people working in our film, television, animation and video
games companies.
The money will support training over the next
two years and will be matched by the industry. In what is a hugely
competitive and rapidly-changing environment, it will help ensure that
our creative industries have the skilled workforce they need to compete
in today’s global race.
Creative Industries Minister Ed Vaizey said:
“Our
creative industries are worth over £36 billion a year at the latest
count. They are a real success story and a key part of our economic
growth strategy. But they need to make sure that they can continue to
compete in the global marketplace - which is hugely competitive and
constantly evolving. This new £6m investment will make sure that our
creative industries have people with the right skills to make sure they
stay at the top.”
Today’s announcement follows the introduction
of new tax reliefs for high–end TV production, animation and video games
and will ensure that skills in the creative industries will keep pace
with increased economic growth.
Some examples of benefits the £6m funding could deliver include:
Film: £600,000
would support 250 new entrants and existing practitioners in craft and
technical areas; £400,000, could support 150 professionals in production
management, raising industry standards and decreasing the need to
recruit from overseas
TV: £900,000 would help 75
interns into first industry placements and 50 junior professionals
could develop their key skills to respond to the production challenges
the TV tax relief will attract
Video games: £500,000 would train 500 individuals in the workforce to up-skill them in key priority areas
Animation: £800,000 would establish a Graduate Internship Scheme, creating entry
routes for 200 highly skilled new entrants from Creative Skillset
accredited HE courses
Creative Skillset’s Skills Investment Fund
currently manages film industry investment. However, the fund will now
extend its scope to manage investment, including the new match funding
arrangement, for all four sectors covered by the tax breaks.
Stewart Till CBE, Chair of Creative Skillset and CEO of Sonar Entertainment said:
“Through the Treasury consultation on tax relief our industries have identified the UK’s skills and talent as one of the principal drivers of growth and of our global reputation. We applaud the Government for taking this issue forward. This much needed and welcome injection of one-off co-investment will help incentivise the delivery of training to develop skills that will support the growth in jobs that the tax reliefs will bring. We are also delighted that Creative Skillset will be progressing this crucial initiative.”
