Over the next three years, 100 paid internships and apprenticeships will be supported in Northern Ireland’s creative sector.
Ali Wade (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Arts organisations in Northern Ireland are set to benefit from financial incentives to create specialist apprenticeships and intern opportunities. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is working with Creative & Cultural Skills to extend a programme currently running in England.
Over the next three years, the NI Creative Employment Programme aims to establish 100 paid internships and apprenticeships in areas such as technical theatre, music business, cultural heritage, community arts and live events. Wage incentives of up to £5,000 will be available for businesses to recruit apprentices, aged 16-24, for a minimum of 2 years, while up to £1,500 will be paid to businesses to help support interns, aged 18-24, for a minimum of 6 months.
Sara Graham, Nations Director for Creative & Cultural Skills, commented: “Young people are the lifeblood of the creative industries and we hope creative employers will jump at this chance to invest in young talent and build their future workforce.”
A similar scheme, focusing on graduate interns, is available in Scotland, delivered by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations. The Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries programme recently extended its remit to cover the whole of the UK.
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