by New Skills Academy for cultural heritage to support talent, jobs and growth
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The cultural heritage sector is to benefit from a new investment announced today by Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, to extend the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural into the cultural heritage sector.
Led by Creative & Cultural Skills and a broad range of partners including the Museums Association, ICON, Tate, V&A, Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund, the new development programme will enhance and develop career opportunities for talented young people within museums and galleries, built heritage, archaeology, heritage craft and conservation, and provide the sector with the skills needed to prosper in the current economic climate.
The creative and cultural industries contribute over £36.5 billion GVA per year to the UK economy . The cultural heritage sector is worth £5.5 billion, employing a workforce of 54,000 employees, making a significant contribution to the tourism economy .
John Hayes MP, Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning said:
“It is businesses themselves that are best-placed to identify the skills they need to drive growth. This investment is very good news for the creative industries and will help them to overcome the skills gaps that stand in the way of them meeting their full potential. The National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural has already demonstrated its success in working with over 200 employers in the theatre and music industries. I am delighted that investment will allow them to increase opportunities in the design, cultural heritage and jewellery sectors.”
In support of the initiative, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, Ed Vaizey, said:
“I am delighted that the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural has secured £1.5 million of new investment through the Growth and Innovation Fund. Since their creation, they have created over 1000 apprenticeships in the sector, and over 1 million people have benefitted through their careers programme. This is an amazing opportunity to reach out to new sectors, new creative practitioners and creative micro-businesses which can be hard to reach.”
Paul Latham, Chairman, Creative & Cultural Skills, said:
“We have been building our Skills Academy for the last four years through our initiatives for theatre and music. It is only through the strength of our existing partnerships, our Founder Colleges and our industry members, that we were able to make the case for this extension project, which will enormously enhance our offer to young people and strengthen the skills base of a range of creative businesses, individuals and organisations. With this funding, we can now support the further development of higher-level, industry-led apprenticeships, careers guidance, specialist education and training, and new professional standards for all those working in the creative sector. We look forward to working with a wide range of partners in this new three-year development period.”
Mark Taylor, Director, Museums Association added:
“Since its inception, Creative & Cultural Skills have worked for the cultural heritage world and has had a particularly strong relationship with the Museums Association. We supported the bid and are delighted that we will be working together with them to provide more support and guidance for those who work in and aspire to work in the sector.”
These priorities reflect recommendations made in the Cultural Heritage Blueprint, developed by Creative & Cultural Skills through extensive consultation with the sector and which has recently been reviewed by the Museums Association. It also reflects learning from the Skills for the Future programme led by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and recommendations made by ICON in their new National Conservation Education and Skills Strategy.
Hedley Swain, Director of Museums, Arts Council England said:
“As one of our National Portfolio Organisations, we work very closely with the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural, particularly in the theatre and live music sectors. It is great news to hear about the money that the Skills Academy will receive through the Growth and Innovation Fund. This will help them to build on the provision of skills and training in the jewellery, design and cultural heritage sectors, including museums which are, of course, now central to the Arts Council’s cultural portfolio.”
Following the announcement, Creative & Cultural Skills is actively seeking partners from the in this new development project. Interested parties are invited to attend a series of open meetings which we will be hosting across the country from June onwards. For further information contact jennie.godsalve
Paul Champion
www.paulchampionuk.com
www.apprenticeshipblog.com
📱: 07540 704920
Twitter: @blogapprentice
Skype: paulchampion31
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