Skills Minister celebrates National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural

Creative sector representatives gathered last week to celebrate the extension of our Skills Academy with Skills Minister, John Hayes.

The event at The Goldsmiths’ Centre on 12 July celebrated the £1.5 million investment in the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural, newly awarded by the Skills Funding Agency through the Growth and Innovation Fund. 

Introduced by Dame Lynne Brindley, Chair of Trustees of The Goldsmiths' Centre, delegates heard from John Hayes MP who spoke passionately about the importance of creative and cultural enrichment and its vital contribution to our economy, Tony Allen from the Skills Funding Agency, and from our Joint CEO Catherine Large, who outlined the work the Skills Academy has already done with theatre and music and our plans to extend its work to benefit the design, jewellery and cultural heritage sectors. 

Representatives from a range of creative organisations, businesses, practitioners and sole traders in the design, jewellery and cultural heritage sectors attended the event, in recognition of the need for high-level talent, skills and jobs to support the growth of the UK's creative industries.

New initiatives will include important work with the design industry, backed by the Design Council, British Design Innovation, Design Business Association and the Design Commission. New work will now begin with the jewellery sector, led by The Goldsmiths’ Company, Holts Academy and the British Jewellers’ Association.  There will also be new activity with the cultural heritage sector, championed by the Museums Association, Tate, V&A and ICON, backed by Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund, and building on work with the BIS Craft Skills Advisory Board.

The Skills Academy will also make new connections with young people, through a new partnership with The Sorrell Foundation, extending the National Art&Design Saturday Club to a broader range of beneficiaries; through new partnership work with the National Skills Academy for Materials, Production and Supply; and by extending the Creative Choices careers programme.

Creative & Cultural Skills is actively seeking partners in this new development project.  Interested parties are invited to get in touch with us via nsa@ccskills.org.uk.