Skillset Celebrates Partnerships and Talent in Northern Ireland at Enhancing Creative Skills Launch
4 June 2008
Skillset, the Sector Skills Council for Creative Media, will host tonight the Enhancing Creative Skills event that celebrates the launch of a series of initiatives as part of an ambitious action plan for developing the Northern Ireland creative media workforce; the Skillset careers service and the Northern Ireland Skillset Media Academy. The evening will also showcase and award new work from talented creative media students. Confirming the importance of the initiatives Skillset's CEO Dinah Caine will be joined by Nuala Kerr representing the Department for Employment and Learning; Dr Fergus Keeling, BBC Northern Ireland; Mariréad Regan UTV plc and Jannine Waddell, Head of Progamming, Waddell Media.
In January 2007 Skillset launched Northern Ireland's first Sector Skills Agreement (SSA), a living document that sets out the agenda for developing the creative industries workforce. The Enhancing Creative Skills event, will celebrate the continued success of this agreement and the partnerships that it has brought together, particularly with Northern Ireland Screen. The event will be attended by the Northern Ireland Industry Skills Panel, a collective of influential people that work as a formal advisory committee in Northern Ireland, and the main driving force behind the SSA. Industry professionals from the creative industries (film, TV, radio, interactive media, animation, computer games and publishing) as well as students from these areas will also attend.
Dinah Caine, CEO, Skillset said; "Tonight we celebrate together with our partners in the industry, trade unions and public sector, another two great milestones in our continuous work to ensure that the Creative Media industries in Northern Ireland are able to develop, expand and compete internationally. Both the Skillset Careers Service and the Northern Ireland Skillset Media Academy will not only enhance but nurture skills and create content that will build on the growth of the creative economy in Northern Ireland."
Welcoming the emergence of Skillset Careers and the NI Skillset Media Academy, Employment and Learning Minister Sir Reg Empey said: "The Executive has placed the achievement of an innovative and dynamic economy at the heart of its Programme for Government. There is general recognition that the skill of the workforce is one of the key pillars needed to realise this goal.
"To this end, the Skills Strategy for Northern Ireland sets out our vision of increasing levels of productivity and promoting social inclusion through raising the skills levels of our workforce. However, we face many challenges and employers need to be at the heart of determining the provision to address skills needs."
Sir Reg continued: "The emergence from Skillset's Sector Skills Agreement of Skillset Careers and the NI Skillset Media Academy clearly demonstrates how Skillset already works closely with employers in its sector to meet their training and skills needs."
The Minister said that talent needs support if it is to grow and succeed. He said that his Department is committed to the implementation of the wider Skills Strategy and pointed out that it will continue to work closely with the Sector Skills Councils to help everyone achieve their full potential.
Sir Reg concluded: "Over the coming year it is my hope that we will see more real progress on the skills agenda across all sectors. We are going through a time of major transition in the skills arena but I'm sure that, as we continue to work together, we can meet the challenges that these changes will bring about and ultimately serve the needs of the economy and individuals working or wishing to work in this exciting sector."
Notes to Editors
Skillset is the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for Creative Media which comprises TV, film, radio, interactive media, animation, computer games, facilities, photo imaging and publishing. Our aim is to support the improvements to the productivity of our industry to ensure that it remains globally competitive. We do this by influencing and leading; developing skills, training and education policy; and through opening up the industries to the UK's pool of diverse talent.
For all media enquiries please contact:
Jennifer Walters
e: jenniferw@skillset.org
t: 0207 713 9812