By 2017, there will be a need for 30,000 skilled technicians in the backstage and offstage industries. The Skills Academy is endeavouring to match training provision with employer needs, through regional partnerships to deliver training and a dynamic and influential membership network.
The consortia of leading employers in the East of England including the UK Centre for Carnival Arts, Aldeburgh Music, The Royal Opera House and The Mercury Theatre, Colchester are working closely with three of the founder colleges in the East of England, South East Essex College, Norwich City College and North Hertfordshire College to create a programme of training for the Skills Academy that will generate better links between education and employment.The current three programmes are Training the Trainer; sustainable financial model for employer engagement and the tailoring of current curriculum to ensure programmes reflect skills needed in the offstage technical and live music sectors such as, Health & Safety for outdoor live music events.
Speaking at the event, Paul Latham, CEO, Live Nation International Music, and chairman of the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills said: "The launch event for employer membership is not only a celebration of our progress thus far but it is an open invitation to employers in these industries to step forward to help shape the development of the NSA in the East of England in the forthcoming months.
"In time, the NSA will support all our employers taking on a creative apprentice, improving access routes into the industry and the career choices and opportunities for young people as well as generating a supply chain and fit-for-purpose training for the industry. Any employer that has an interest in the development of their future and existing workforces should get involved."
To bring fresh talent into the production industries, the NSA will also be focusing its efforts on supporting the creative apprenticeships programme to encourage young people into essential production careers, initially focusing on: live events and promotion, music recording industry, technical theatre, costume, venue operation and community arts.
The National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills was given the green light by Government in May 2008 and is to be operational from April 2009. It is awaiting final approval on its capital bid to build a bespoke centre of excellence at the Royal Opera House Production Park in Thurrock in the Thames Gateway. The building will be opening its doors in autumn 2011.
(Jim Evans)
