Creative Blueprint Wales

• Wales has a creative workforce of 19,000, which is 4% of the Uk workforce
• By 2014, the industry is expected to grow by 5,000 jobs
• 33% will require higher skills.

The creative and cultural landscape in Wales

In Wales the creative industries are identified as a key driver of business growth, as is the role of culture. Welsh Language plays an important role in culture and identity.

Creative & Cultural Skills works closely with the Welsh Assembly Government whose recently published skills and employment strategy, Skills That Work for Wales, emphasises the need to integrate the economic development and skills agendas. Sector Skills Councils are charged to strengthen the employer voice in decisions on skills provision and to be the "strategic interface" between employers and the Welsh Assembly Government.

'Our big challenge is in finding and keeping good quality staff. The performing arts sector within Wales is now recognising that all of us have to make a commitment to long-term training and development of staff. For us, Creative & Cultural Skills is a valuable umbrella under which to consider the best way to pursue that development.'

— Judith Isherwood, Chief Executive, Wales Millennium Centre, Trustee of Creative & Cultural Skills
Key facts from Wales

Creative & Cultural Skills: working in Wales

Delivering the Creative Blueprint for Wales: an action plan proposal 2009-11

We have developed a comprehensive programme of activity for Wales 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:

• Creative Apprenticeships and higher level apprenticeships (Modern Skills Diplomas)
• The creation of regional Networks of Excellence
• Continuing Professional Development programmes
• A Cultural Leadership strategy and programme
• Qualifications Reform
• Interventions to increase sectors diversity
• An on-going programme of underpinning research

The programme forms the basis of two substantial funding bids to the Welsh Assembly Government and the Wales European Funding Office and Creative & Cultural Skills will be campaigning for the Government of Wales to deliver on their promise to invest in adult skills as detailed in Skills That Work for Wales: A Skills and Employment Strategy and Action Plan for Wales.

Creative apprenticeships

Modern Apprenticeship frameworks have been developed to address identified skills needs in Technical Theatre, Performing Arts, Music, Cultural Heritage and Visual Arts.  There are six pathway areas available:

An initial three-month pilot of the Technical Theatre pathway took place using existing accredited qualifications during 2008.  The evaluation report of the pilot can be downloaded from the right hand side of this page.

Following the pilot, Creative Apprenticeships are being phased in from September 2009 and will provide, for the first time, high quality, paid, work-based qualifications at Level 2 and 3 in technical and specialist skills area where employers have identified current and future need.

Modern skills diplomas

Modern Skills Diplomas offer opportunities for learners to gain higher level qualifications (CQFW level 4 and above) using an Apprenticeship-type model.

We will work with employers and providers to identify demand for, and lead the development of, new Modern Skills Diploma frameworks.  These will address the need for higher level technical skills identified in our Creative Blueprint.  They will provide a progression route from our Foundation Modern Apprenticeship and Modern Apprenticeship programmes as well as providing a route into higher education. 

Networks of excellence

We will work with Higher Education Institutions, Further Education colleges, Private Training Providers and Employers to explore opportunities for creating regional networks of excellence hubs around the geographical areas of North, South and West Wales.

Our vision is to identify and link existing 'excellent' provision, remove unnecessary duplication and facilitate closer collaboration between further and higher education, independent providers and industry.

Continuing professional development

Continuing Professional Development is essential to the continual 're-skilling' of the creative and cultural workforce, to keep pace with change, be innovative and meet the Governments ambitions for the industries in the wider economy.

We will be working with employers and providers across a wide range of sectors to develop formal and sustainable CPD programmes in areas such as design, literature, music business and theatre and arts management.  These programmes will be credit based and will be embedded in nationally accredited qualifications and credit frameworks where appropriate.

Creative and cultural leadership

We will be working with employers and key partners to analyse existing Cultural Leadership models and opportunities and identify ways in which Cultural Leadership can be delivered to provide multiple entry points, clear pathways of progression, support outside of programmes and recognised qualifications.

Qualification reform

Our sector wants to see a qualifications world that genuinely reflects its needs. The existing qualification offer needs to be reviewed, repurposed and rationalised in order to ensure that it meets the needs of employers.

We will work with awarding bodies, providers and employers in Wales to ensure that existing nationally accredited qualifications are fit for purpose and meet the needs of the sector in Wales.  This will involve working with colleagues in England and Northern Ireland to ensure that only high quality and relevant qualifications are accredited to the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). 

The implementation of our Sector Qualification Strategy Action Plan (Wales) 2009-11 will help to achieve our overall vision, informed by our employers, to deliver a genuinely consumer-led qualifications system that delivers what it sets out to do: providing the creative and cultural industries with the people and skills required to be successful in a global market, securing world beating creative enterprise and more diverse cultural industries.

More information on our Sector Qualifications Strategy and Sector Qualifications Strategy Action Plan (Wales) can be found in the Qualifications and Standards section.

Diversity

Addressing Diversity in the workforce is a key challenge highlighted in the Creative Blueprint.  This includes Black and Asian Communities, women, disabled people, social and economic inclusion, and the increase in eastern European communities.

The research upon which our Blueprint is based indicates a white, male dominated and mainly able-bodied workforce.  We have a higher than average number of Welsh language speakers, but demand/supply for skills through the medium of Welsh is unclear.

We will be implementing a number of interventions to provide opportunities for a diverse range of individuals to engage with the sector, including open days and bespoke training

Research

Our programme of work is underpinned by robust labour market intelligence and addresses a number of the key activities in the Creative Blueprint for Wales (the Sector Skills Agreement for the creative and cultural industries).

Through on-going dialogue with the sector and whilst developing this programme of work, we have identified a number of discrete areas where further research is required:

1. Welsh Language Skills Provision and Demand
2. International Skills Development
3. Social mobility and skills
4. Targeted support and interventions for freelancers.
5. Foundation Degrees
6. Non formal learning

The outcomes of our research programme will inform the implementation of our existing programme of work as well as identifying areas of future activity.

For further information on any of these programme areas or to find out how you can get involved, please contact Creative and Cultural Skills in Wales on 029 2049 6826 or by email at wales@ccskills.org.uk.