30 October 2008

The Creative Blueprint has been launched in Northern Ireland and will ensure the long term success of the nation’s creative and cultural industries.

The Creative Blueprint has been informed by extensive research from employers, education providers and the industry in Northern Ireland. It gives a snapshot of where the industry is currently at and what needs to be addressed in the future to ensure workforce skills development.

Tom Bewick, chief executive of Creative & Cultural Skills said: “This action plan is employer-driven and therefore entirely employer focused. The creative and cultural industries in Northern Ireland have grown considerably, but there still isn’t a clear progression route for those entering the industries and skills gaps exist within the workforce. In Northern Ireland, we are delighted to have received funding from the Department for Employment and Learning to develop the first ever Creative Apprenticeship scheme. We are also hoping to launch a Creative and Cultural Leadership Scheme next year and are moving forward with recruiting designers and stakeholders in Northern Ireland for the UK Design Skills Alliance.”

Guest speaker at the event, Roisin McDonough, chief executive of Arts Council Northern Ireland and UK Trustee of Creative & Cultural Skills, said: “As a relative newcomer to the work of Creative & Cultural Skills, I owe them a debt of gratitude for their sage counsel, focus and commitment to what we are all trying to achieve – namely thriving creative and cultural industries in Northern Ireland, industries which take pride of place in our burgeoning economy and which perform at the highest standards possible, keeping apace with the best of the UK and further afield.”

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For more information on this press release please contact Jessica Benson on 0207 015 1800 or email jessica.benson@ccskills.org.uk