Industry rallies to tackle skills shortage in live music and theatre.
The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) has become the first contributor of financial support for the proposed National Skills Academy (NSA) for technical and offstage skills in live entertainment, with a donation of £35,000. SOLTs pledge has kick-started the campaign which is led by Creative & Cultural Skills, the Sector Skills Council for advertising, craft, cultural heritage, design, music and the literary, visual and performing arts to raise £3m from industry over the next three years. The Government has said that it will provide another £7m to make the Skills Academy a reality, pending approval of the projects business plan. It wants to see 12 National Skills Academies established to serve different sectors of the economy, and gave initial approval to the proposals from Creative & Cultural Skills in October 2006, with a final decision expected shortly.
Speaking of an unprecedented alliance of employers and industry bodies from live music and theatre, Tom Bewick, Chief Executive of Creative & Cultural Skills, said, Weve spent much of the past year putting together our detailed proposals, which are firmly based on the current and anticipated skills needs of our industries. As we begin the fundraising campaign, were thrilled to have won the backing of such prestigious names in the entertainment and events industries. Demand for the Skills Academy has come from the sector itself, with a boom in live entertainment leading to increasing difficulty in recruiting skilled and experienced staff in technical and support roles. Forecasts based on official employment data predict demand for 30,000 skilled recruits in live music and theatre over the next decade.
Richard Pulford, Chief Executive of SOLT, said, The case for a National Skills Academy is well made. London theatre is enjoying some good years with revenues breaking previous records. But recruiting and training technical staff has become increasingly problematic as production demands have become more sophisticated. Theatres need to become directly involved in the development of the workforce and attract a larger and more diverse group of skilled recruits. An employer-led National Skills Academy serving the sector throughout England is the right vehicle for doing that.
In a related development, Creative & Cultural Skills and PLASA, the Professional Lighting and Sound Association, have reached a framework agreement to provide technical equipment for the Skills Academy. PLASA members are also being offered the chance to become Founder Suppliers with a commitment to provide goods and services to a maximum value of £25,000 over three financial years. Cash donations and in kind support from industry will both count towards the fundraising target. Matthew Griffiths, Chief Executive of PLASA, said, People need to appreciate that the UK is a world leader in the production of live events and the technology behind them, yet our members recognise that we need to raise our game on skills and make sure that the workforce continues to be the best in the world. The alternative is to see yet another industry at which Britain formerly excelled falling victim to international competition.