Thanks to the support of the Scottish Arts Council we are able to pilot three places for Creative Apprenticeships in technical theatre and cultural venue operations.

Sara Graham, Northern Ireland Manager, describes the steps forward in Northern Ireland over recent months with our provision of a leadership programme, careers seminars and new opportunities for developing a design network.

Providers and Employers are coming together across the creative industries in the West Midlands to offer career opportunities through the Creative Apprenticeship.

Key initiatives are being led by strategic partners, the LSC & National Apprenticeship Service and Business Link with the support of CCSkills, to bring together employers and providers in the West Midlands. This collaboration will ensure that the provision is employer-led and that employers have the confidence to offer apprenticeship opportunities where they have never been offered before.  

Creative & Cultural Skills has been a member of the North West Higher Skills Partnership’s Creative and Digital Group since 2007. The group includes the North West Universities Association, NWDA, the LSC, Skillset, E-skills and Skillfast.

Funding from the Higher Education Funding Council England and North West Development Agency (NWDA) has enabled the group to fund pilot employer-led programmes in creative writing for Chinese authors and in museology.

CCSkills is under review – the Relicensing Process kicked off with our first meeting with the National Audit Office on 21st April.

All 25 sector skills councils are going through a process of relicensing which includes 3rd party inspection by the National Audit Office. CCSkills is in tranche 5, the final tranche and so have just started the process which we hope will result in a new 5-year license to operate as a sector skills council in the autumn. As well as demonstrating achievements to date and future ambition, the NAO will be interested in the views of employers and stakeholders we work with. If you would like to comment, please do so online or for more information, please visit our Relicensing page

Creative & Cultural Skills in Wales has developed a comprehensive programme of work covering the period 2009-11. The programme has been developed following substantial consultation with employers, providers and key partners in Wales and will deliver the priority areas outlined in the Creative Blueprint for Wales. These include:
 

• the roll out of the Creative Apprenticeships frameworks
• the creation of regional Networks of Excellence
• the development of sustainable Continuing Professional Development programmes
• the development of a new model for Cultural Leadership
• a series of interventions to increase the diversity of the sector
• a robust Qualifications Reform programme, and
• an on-going programme of underpinning research.
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Victoria Pirie, Executive Director England, describes the great strides we have made in making the Creative Blueprint England a reality via our membership of the UK Design Skills Alliance and recent partnership with the Association of Colleges Creative and Cultural Skills Group.

Two recent achievements show how the 'blueprint' in England is rolling out. First, working in partnership with education is key to the success of programmes like Creative Apprenticeships and the National Skills Academy.

The recently signed agreement with the Association of Colleges Skills Group, chaired by Fintan Donohue (Principal and Chief Executive of North Hertfordshire College), supports this and is a first for a sector skills council.

Sally Wallwork, Communications Consultant, rounds up the latest developments in the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills project.

Robin Auld (Capital Project Manager) brought the new year in when he represented our interests whilst visiting the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing in January. We'll be returning the favour when a delegation from China visit our humble abode west of the Yangtze River at the end of February.

Not overshadowing our own achievements, we are pleased to be attending our first spoke launch, in the East of England, welcoming this new first partnership to our NSA family on 27 February.

We're aiming to expand still further by beginning a recruitment campaign to attract would-be directors to our fledgling board.

Elizabeth Appleby, Apprenticeships & Education Provider Manager, visits the Academy of Music in Guildford...

When I took the train from waterloo to visit an ex member of staff in his new job at the Academy of Music, I had no idea that I would end up being  'Inspired in Guildford'!

Chris met me at the reception (or was it the merchandising area at a gig? It was hard to tell!) While I was still wondering, the tour began. We passed students in between classes practicing in the corridor, on the stairs or in any other spare space they could find. It was good to see their creativity spilling out of the confines of the classroom, and the "tutor wall of fame”, listing the tutors’ musical credentials, more than lived up to its moniker.