Creative & Cultural Skills, the employer-led Sector Skills Council, has recently completed its UK-wide series of “Access All Areas” roadshows.

Employers, practitioners and education providers were invited to “Access All Areas” and take part in a major overhaul of skills and training for the creative and cultural industries.

Each event was an important opportunity to influence the content of Creative Blueprint - the first Sector Skills Agreement for Advertising, Craft, Cultural Heritage, Design, Music and the Arts. The government- backed action plan will direct the long term supply of all publicly funded education and training for the sector.

Details of the new Creative Apprenticeship – the first recognised apprenticeship framework for the sector, currently being developed by Creative & Cultural Skills - were also unveiled. Prototype apprenticeship schemes are being run in cities including London, Liverpool and Manchester during the first half of 2007.

The tour was also a chance to find out about - and take part in- the wide range of skills and training opportunities being provided by Creative & Cultural Skills and its partners. These include the £12 million Cultural Leadership Programme, the forthcoming Creative Knowledge Lab careers advice and guidance service and the proposed National Skills Academy for backstage and offstage staff in the music industry and performing arts.

Events were staged in every region of England, as well as Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

“Since Creative & Cultural Skills launched in July 2005, we’ve engaged with over 2000 creative and cultural organisations across the UK to assess their skills and training needs,” says Chief Executive Tom Bewick.

“These events are an opportunity for us to feedback on the work we have done to date, and to hear the views of employers and education providers on key skills issues. It’s also a great way to get directly involved in shaping the future development of our industries.”
 
“We’re calling our tour ‘Access all Areas’ because, as an industry-led body, we want to provide an open door to everyone with an interest in skills and training in a sector that employs well over half a million people across the UK.”               

For more information visit www.ccskills.org.uk