Employers in the creative industries today welcomed the Government’s boost for skills development of up to £6m over two years co-invested with industry.
Announced in the Autumn Statement, the co-investment between industry and Government will have a total worth of £12m and will provide entry and professional level training for over 3,300 individuals working in film, TV, animation and video games. This boost to skills will support these sectors, key to UK economy, in their ambitious plans for growth.
Creative Skillset will work with representatives of each industry to ensure that all investments made will be targeted at areas of priority.
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 delighted that Creative Skillset will be progressing this crucial initiative.”
Creative Industries Minister Ed Vaizey (as pictured) 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 right skills to make sure they stay at the top.”
John McVay, CEO, Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television, said: “In recent years we have seen considerable growth in the film, TV and animation industries. They are a significant part of the Creative Industries, who overall provide 5.1% of the UK’s employment. Creative Skillset’s Skills Investment Fund has already helped our members create business opportunities in film. This welcome announcement will extend the same approach to high-end TV and animation which will help these industries grow further and faster.”
Dr Jo Twist, CEO, UKIE said: “The success of the UK’s exciting games and interactive entertainment sector is in large part down to the skills and creativity of its employees. This welcome announcement will help meet the skills targets we have established with Creative Skillset and will help ensure that UK games businesses have access to the high-quality, next-generation talent that they need to keep the industry at the forefront of the world.”
Iain Smith, Producer, Chair of Film Skills Council and Film Industry Training Board, said: “The UK Creative Industries are renowned for having a world-beating skills base. A new challenge is making sure that we can effectively resource increased levels of production, as a result of the tax credits, to the same high standards. It is fantastic to see today’s financial commitment from the Chancellor to support skills and talent development for high-end TV production, film, animation and computer games to help our industries step up to this challenge. This investment will match existing funds already in place, such as the Lottery funds for film via the BFI, to support delivery of more ambitious and comprehensive skills strategies, building on Creative Skillset’s work to date in each sector.”
The fund will be routed through Creative Skillset’s Skills Investment Fund which currently manages film industry investment and will now extend its scope to the other three sectors.
Over the last five years Creative Skillset has managed combined investment funds of £25 million for training provision in film and TV. This investment has provided support to nearly 6,000 beneficiaries.
The announcement is an endorsement of this model where the industry has built a co-ordinated approach to identifying, funding, and addressing skills gaps, and which is now copied by other countries.
The investment, available from April 2013, will help industry quickly up-skill and maximise economic benefit from the new tax reliefs for high-end TV production, animation and video games that are being introduced at the same time.