Creative & Cultural Skills
05 November 2009
Rt Hon John Denham MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has announced that the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills (NSA) has secured £5 million of funding for a state of the art new building in Thurrock, enabling thousands of young people and Apprentices to access world class training in technical theatre and live music production.
This building will enhance the nationwide activity of a National Skills Academy which is currently delivering through 19 founder Further Education Colleges across the country working in partnership with over 170 employers.
Welcoming the announcement, Tom Bewick, Group Chief Executive, Creative & Cultural Skills, said:
“The National Skills Academy is fundamentally important to a live performance sector that generates over £6 billion per year for the UK economy. Initially it will provide world class training in the technical theatre and live music production industries, enabling young people to learn from established professionals ranging from backstage theatre experts to tour promoters and bands. Over time the NSA will cover the creative and cultural industries represented by the sector skills council. It’s fantastic that after a huge amount of perseverance and hard work by all those involved this funding has now been secured. It marks an important milestone in achieving the full costs of the building.”
As an employer led initiative the academy will provide training that is vitally important to the backstage theatre and live events industries. By 2017 it is estimated that there will be a need for 30,000 technicians. The academy will help ensure theatres, music venues and festival organisers have the workforce they need to continue growing and making a major contribution to the UK economy.
The state-of-the-art academy will be in Thurrock in the Thames Gateway. It is expected to create 1,000 jobs and make a major contribution to regeneration in the area. The building is shovel ready and is expected to be completed by 2011.
Angela Smith, MP (Basildon):
“Today’s announcement by the Secretary of State is positive news. The National Skills Academy is in line with many of the government’s objectives on skills, training and regeneration. It will help to support “recession busting” initiatives in the Thames Gateway region, and will also contribute to the development of a cultural legacy from the London 2012 Olympic Games, helping to raise aspirations for young people in the region, and create jobs.”
Andrew Mackinlay, MP (Thurrock):
“I am delighted that the Secretary of State has announced capital funding for the National Skills Academy. The development of the Academy is of critical and strategic importance to both the Thames Gateway region and the UK economy as a whole. The local community and the Thames Gateway will benefit significantly. The Academy will bring a national headquarters to Thurrock and will create jobs and support skills and training for young people in the vital creative industries sector.”
Paul Latham, Chair, National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills - Chief Operating Officer, International Music:
"I am delighted with the news of the £5million commitment from the LSC. This brings us a step closer to the build of the centre of excellence in Thurrock and achieving the National Skills Academy’s vision of an internationally acclaimed technical theatre and live music sector supporting the best stages in the world."
Andrea Stark, Executive Director, Arts Council England:
‘The Arts Council is delighted with this commitment of £5 million from the Learning and Skills Council towards the National Skills Academy development in Thurrock. This project is of major importance to the arts in this country. I look forward to seeing the fundraising targets met within the next few months.’
Kevin Brennan MP, Minister for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs said:
“Creative industries are increasingly important to the UK economy and the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills plays a vital role in supporting them and tackling skills shortages, especially in technical level skills.
“We’re really glad this new project in Thurrock has got the go-ahead, providing opportunities for people to learn world-class skills in technical theatre and live music. It’s going ahead thanks to partnership working between a number of agencies including Government with support from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
“This is an important time to make vital investment in improving the skills of the workforce. That’s why we continue to help people access the training they need to get into and get on at work, and in turn make sure that key sectors such as the Creative and Cultural industries are best placed to win those jobs of the future.
“This Government continues to invest in National Skills Academies because we want to build a system which meets the needs of businesses and individuals and creates a world-beating workforce which will support the industry’s future development.”
Geoff Russell, Chief Executive of the Learning and Skills Council, said:
"I am delighted to welcome this important project which will bring a wide range of opportunities to help the economy prepare for the upturn by ensure we have the right skills and training in place to support the creative and cultural industries.
“As with other sectors, we are seeing that the skills academy programme is successful in bringing together employers and Government to provide the world class skills that our economy needs."
Ends
For more information on this press release please contact Liz Marshall, ImageWorks PR on 07796 697593
Notes to editors:
The National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills is a wholly owned subsidiary of Creative & Cultural Industries plc, the sector skills council for the creative and cultural industries.
Paul Latham is chair of the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills and Chief Operating Officer of Live Nation Europe.
The National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills (NSA) operates as an industry-led membership organisation, developing the delivery of industry approved standards, training and related skills through its network of creative and cultural employers and education and training providers.
Our mission is to establish an industry-led National Skills Academy, initially focussing on Live Music and technical theatre.
Our vision is of an internationally acclaimed technical theatre and live music sector supporting the best stages in the world.
At the heart of the NSA's ambition are our core values:
Industry led – We listen to our employers’ needs and work to ensure training leads to real skills for real jobs;
Partnership - We are a membership organisation working together to improve training and skills development for our industry;
Quality – We deliver training, information, advice and guidance, through our membership - within a recognized, industry-endorsed, framework;
Diversity – We develop new models for learning, partnerships and access into the sector, such as Creative Apprenticeships, to improve opportunities for all and increase the diversity of the workforce.
Founder Colleges of the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills:
- Amersham & Wycombe College
- Bridgwater College
- City College Norwich
- City College Plymouth
- City of Westminster College
- City of Wolverhampton College
- Gateshead College
- Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education
- Leicester College
- Lewisham College
- Liverpool Community College
- New College Nottingham
- North Hertfordshire College
- South East Essex College
- Stratford upon Avon College
- Sussex Downs College
- Stoke on Trent College
- The Manchester College
- Wiltshire College
The announcement was made by the Learning and Skills Council on 3 November 2009.