Creative Employment Programme in England
The Creative Employment Programme has contributed to the creation of 4,500 apprenticeships, paid internships and pre-employment opportunities through the Creative Skills Initiative.

The Creative Employment Programme was a £15m fund to support the creation of apprenticeship and paid internship opportunities in England for young unemployed people aged 16-24 wishing to pursue a career in the arts and cultural sector. It also supported pre-employment training opportunities through the Creative Skills Initiative.
Resources
The following resources are available for Creative Employment Programme (England) funding recipients:
About the Creative Employment Programme
We provided part wage grants to employers who created new apprenticeship and internship job opportunities for young unemployed people aged 16-24 in England.
The focus was on Arts Council England’s footprint. This included all employers, both commercial and subsidised, that fall within this footprint:
- Music
- Dance
- Theatre
- Literature
- Visual arts
- Contemporary craft
- Combined arts
- Galleries
- Circus
- Carnival arts
- Museums
- Libraries
Young people aged 16-24 from all backgrounds, from graduates to those with few or no qualifications, had the chance to access on-the-job training and experience to build the skills that employers want.
Creative & Cultural Skills was the National Provider for the Creative Employment Programme in England. We applied through an open process. Our proposal was supported by a strong track record of delivering similarly large scale, complex and national work-based learning and skills development programmes which have benefitted the arts and cultural sector and have been backed up by high-quality research and industry knowledge.
The Creative Employment Programme in England has now closed for applications.