Insight into the Opinions of Employers in the Creative Sectors Regarding Skills Development Programs for the Year 2025
News Article: Challenges in Skills Engagement in the Creative Industries
The creative industries are growing, but a new report reveals that skills engagement in this sector faces significant challenges. Despite government efforts, employers in the creative industries are less likely to recruit older workers (over 50) and participate in mainstream training routes like apprenticeships compared to employers across the UK.
The rapid technological change and structural shifts in the creative sector, such as an ageing workforce, underscore the urgent need to build a strong talent pipeline and foster lifelong learning. About 69% of creative employers expect their staff to need skills upgrading, driven by new technologies and innovation in products and services.
Informal recruitment and project-based hiring often mean vacancy data underestimates true skills demand. This mismatch suggests that skills policy should focus not only on shortages but also on improving coordination and aligning supply with sector needs.
The government's Industrial Strategy and Creative Industries Sector Plan aim to create a high-quality, responsive, inclusive, and targeted skills system. Supported by new bodies like the Creative Sector Skills Forum and Digital Skills Council, these initiatives will help build relevant training pathways.
Better partnerships between industry and training providers can help embed expertise within the skills and training system. Creative industries employers are more likely to have had someone on a work placement compared to all industries, but fewer provide accredited training linked to formal qualifications. Expanding vocational and technical pathways for learners can help broaden access to job opportunities in the creative industries.
The creative industries demonstrate a persistent tendency to rely on recruitment of workers in middle age (25-49 years old). Creative industries employers primarily use apprenticeships to recruit new staff, not train existing employees. Despite near-universal awareness of apprenticeships, most employers in the sector were unlikely to use apprenticeships in the future.
The insights provided around challenges with apprenticeship provision can be utilized to more effectively customize the forthcoming Growth and Skills Levy. Co-design of skills programmes is essential to ensuring they meet industry requirements and give learners preparation for work. Industry bodies can develop and pilot sector-specific initiatives at the local level, providing a basis for continued iteration and refinement of skills programmes.
The Government's devolution agenda offers opportunities for national and local governments to coordinate efforts and trial tailored skills interventions to better meet the sector's needs. capacity and firm size are the main reasons for not offering placements in the creative industries. Strengthening industry collaboration and broadening training routes are key policy recommendations to address these challenges.
- The report highlights that skills engagement in the creative industries is faced with significant challenges, even with government efforts.
- The creative sector, with its fast technological advancement and structural shifts, necessitates a strong talent pipeline and lifelong learning.
- Informal recruitment and project-based hiring in the creative industries can lead to underestimated skills demand.
- The government's Industrial Strategy and Creative Industries Sector Plan aim to create a responsive and inclusive skills system in these industries.
- Better partnerships between creative industries employers and training providers can embed expertise within the skills and training system.
- Creative industries employers primarily use apprenticeships for recruitment, not for training existing employees, which is a persisting trend.
- The insights on apprenticeship provision can be used to customize the Growth and Skills Levy for more effective results.
- The devolution agenda presents opportunities for governments to coordinate efforts and trial tailored skills interventions for the creative industries, addressing issues such as capacity and firm size.
