SSA success in England
There has been major progress across all of Skillset's sectors since the publication in 2005 of the original Sector Skills Agreement and Regional Collaborative Action Plans (RCAPs).
Developed through rigorous research and consultation with industry, each RCAP drew on the themes of national Sector Skills Agreement and identified the key skills issues that were a priority to the sector in that particular region.
Acting on those priorities, Skillset has had many early successes including:
- The launch of a network of Screen Academies and a Film Business Academy with over £5.5 million of new investment from Skillset in university and college provision, matched by an additional £2.39 million from the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales
- The launch of a network of 17 Skillset Media Academies for TV and Interactive Media drawing together creative education partnerships from 43 colleges and universities across the UK.
- The development of the Creative and Media Diploma for 14-19 year olds
- Skillset has distributed over £12 million in grants since the Film Skills Fund was established in 2004, benefiting over 11,000 individuals and leveraging additional support of the value of £17 million
- Over £1 million per year of continuing industry investment in training for freelancers and new entrants for the television industry
- Ongoing progress towards the establishment of an Industry Training Board and a mandatory levy on the film industry (currently voluntary).
- The development and updating of standards and qualifications across all sectors
- The provision of high quality careers advice to young people and professionals
- The development and delivery of new training and business support programmes in post-production, independent TV, games and interactive media
- Accreditation schemes for provision across screenwriting, electronic games, animation and commercially delivered photo-image training
- Industry road show programmes that bring together university and college based staff and students with the latest in photo-imaging techniques and technology
