The announcement is a significant step forward in the creative and cultural sector's campaign to provide more mainstream training opportunities for young people from a diverse range of backgrounds. Apprenticeships offer non graduate entry routes into the sector and open up opportunities to young people who do not choose to go into higher education. Young people who do one of the Apprenticeships will be equipped with the skills and qualifications they need to break into the industries represented by the Sector Skills Council, Creative & Cultural Skills, and establish a sustainable career. Apprentices will be paid a real wage and have access to a world class network of industry employers and training providers.
The new Apprenticeship programme will also help tackle the predicted skills crisis in the creative and cultural sectors, for example, Creative & Cultural Skills has estimated that by 2017 the theatre and live events industry will face a 30,000 skills shortage in offstage and backstage staff alone. This scheme also makes it easier for small businesses in the sector to take on an Apprentice. As well as theatre and Live music this scheme will also cover, craft, cultural heritage, design, literature, music, performing and visual arts.
Commenting on the announcement Tom Bewick, group chief executive of Creative & Cultural Skills said, "As the British economy starts to recover it's doubly important that the creative and cultural sector has the skilled workforce it needs. The sector is of strategic and economic importance but we are facing a future skills crisis. The new Apprenticeships announced today are one step towards ensuring that we have the skilled workforce we need to remain the largest cultural economy in the world as a proportion of GDP."
Apprenticeships Minister Kevin Brennan said, "We want to give small and medium-sized firms the extra support and resources they need to take on more apprentices. These innovative models mean small businesses, who may not previously have felt able to offer apprenticeships, can now get on board and back young Britain. Today's announcement means greater flexibility for small businesses and greater security for apprentices.
"Apprenticeships are a key route to building the nation's skills and as we rebuild growth, it's really important that we continue to invest in people and their skills, especially in industries key to our future economic success."
Young people will be able to choose from a wide variety of Apprenticeship opportunities, ranging from working for live music event and festival organisers, through to others based with local arts, cultural organisations and venues. The training opportunities will vary from financial management to technical theatre, business administration to wardrobe and costume design.
The NSA will establish an Apprenticeship Service, focusing on the creative and cultural sector, and manage the new Apprenticeship programme. The NSA Apprenticeship Service will be responsible for recruiting and training Apprentices, as well as supporting all the organisations and education providers involved. It will work closely with the NSA's network of Industry Members and 19 Founder Colleges across England.
Pauline Tambling, managing director of the NSA said, "We have been successful in securing funding for these Apprenticeships thanks to the support and delivery network of our nineteen Founder Colleges and the commitment of our industry in supporting new opportunities for non graduate entry. We will provide relevant training, experience and progression opportunities."
(Jim
