Creative industries are Britain’s golden sector. National reputations in traditional areas of strength like engineering, science and education have sometimes wilted in the face of new global competition and investment. Meanwhile, in films, media, music, design, the image of British talent has continued to shine ever more brightly. Research by innovation foundation Nesta last year suggested we are living through a boom period for creative industries, predicting that one million jobs will be created for the UK between 2013 and 2030. Local economies rooted in creative areas have seen growth of 11%, double that of other industry sectors.

The question is how long this deeprooted and wide-ranging set of qualities and attributes around the creative arts can be maintained. Success and rapid growth is playing its part in exposing the limits of available skills resources. And like in every other sector , technology is changing the rules of how businesses operate. The range of business activities is so diverse –from computer gaming to fashion, animation, interiors, dance, visual effects –and the pace of change so fast that understanding the current, let alone the future, shape and composition of the sector is a challenge for everyone involved. How do we know what specific skills, what kinds of talent will be needed to keep British talent on top?

It’s not just an issue of providing the ‘people fuel’ that leads to economic growth. While more jobs involving routine tasks will be automated, replaced by Artificial Intelligence, creative industries involve more skills and roles protected from automation. It will be increasingly important in the coming years that the growing number of opportunities in the creative industries are shared across the country and accessible to everyone, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability or social background. We’re at a stage where industry bodies, policymakers and businesses themselves can play a part in steering and encouraging

a diverse and inclusive future; providing ‘good work’ and equality. Nesta research has noted that growth in jobs is happening in established hotspots, with three-quarters of new vacancies expected to be concentrated in just 10 local areas. Research by the Work Foundation highlighted that 65% of people employed in the film and TV sector are based in London and the Southeast, just 3% are from a minority ethnic background; and only one in five of people working in key positions in production companies are women (who typically earn £3,000 pa less).

The right stuff

Members of the Creative Industries Federation expect current skills shortages to only increase over the next 3-5 years, particularly when it comes to niche technical skills, and for senior managers with a mix of creative, commercial and leadership capabilities. As a result there are firms like production companies fighting over small numbers of skilled people; paying over the odds for staff and seeing this hit their bottom line. At the root of the shortages has been a lack of understanding of the needs of businesses and converting these into actual provision. In a dynamic sector like the creative industries, the pace of change is rapid, yet building a pipeline of talent can take many years and making changes to education and training programmes can be like getting an oil tanker to change its course.

The Work Foundation has worked with the British Film Institute (BFI) to understand the changing and very particular skills needs in UK screen industries; an example of an exportoriented creative sector which has been growing at three times the rate of the rest of the economy. In speaking to an expert panel from industry, employees and stakeholders, a key finding was how the move to digital had been made successfully but left in its wake a range of skills gaps and shortages for highly specialised craft roles, front line technical roles, and across many post-production activities. The props department, for example, is as much in need of digital painters and 3D model-makers as those with art and craft skills. New labour market entrants were also seen as lacking in key soft skills rather than job specific skill sets. In terms of the current offering from education providers, the research highlighted how a substantial proportion of learning has been concentrated in general areas such as media and communication studies, which may not be delivering enough in the way of technical skills to match job roles.

Diversity was picked out as one of the biggest challenges facing the sector. Ethnic minorities, women (particularly those with caring responsibilities), people with disabilities and from less advantaged backgrounds, were seen to face the biggest challenges in entering and progressing in the industry. The barriers for these groups range from limited aspirations and finances to a lack of people networks and knowledge to find a way in, as well as inflexibility among employers themselves. Low levels of diversity are a block on much-needed streams of new talent, new thinking, and the overall ability of the sector to see and present itself as open, fair and inclusive. The research resulted in the BFI’s 10point plan and £22m Future Film Skills programme for the sector.

Environmental Action

One immediate step forward from the Future Film Skills action plan has been the Skills Forecasting Service for the screen industries, which produced its first reports in December 2018. This is made up of a Quarterly ScreenSkills Barometer to gather regular, shortterm information on recruitment challenges, skills gaps and training; an in-depth annual ScreenSkills assessment of national trends, alternating between employer and workforce surveys; and a skills forecasting analysis of industry trends and the implications for the workforce based on a ‘Delphi Panel’ of 20 industry thought-leaders. The insights will be shared regularly across the industry and used to shape a more responsive skills system. Employers know what they need, education and training operators can focus provision; and it’ll be more straightforward to communicate the real opportunities to under-represented groups.

Helping the creative industries to continue to flourish is about developing a supportive environment in terms of international trade, protecting Intellectual Property and ensuring the flow of the right skills. And that will be the job of the new Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (part of the Government’s co-funded Arts and Humanities Research Council Creative Clusters programme), with a remit to explore and experiment with initiatives to see what works for different regions of the UK, and what can be done to grow and share the creative industries success into more people’s lives. As part of this, The Work Foundation will be leading the Skills, Talent and Diversity workstrand looking at the big picture, the long-term and strategic employment and skills: the disruptive forces for change, the most pressing employment and skills priorities, implications of the fusion of technologies with ways of working, and understand opportunities and barriers for under-represented groups to enhance diversity.

Heather Carey is Deputy Director of The Work Foundation, the leading provider of analysis, evaluation, policy advice and know-how in the UK and beyond. theworkfoundation.com The Skills Forecasting Service outputs can be found at: screenskills.com