While the region has the highest employment rate in the UK, progression into higher education is relatively lower. Improving skills is vital for employability and social inclusion as well as for economic productivity and competitive strength. Culture often offers an effective route into education and sets people on the road to lifelong learning.

Culture can engage in addressing the basic skills agenda and build confidence and aid inspiration. There is also a need to develop the skills for the cultural sector. Having undertaken audits of the skills needs in the creative industries, tourism, leisure and heritage, the skills gaps and issues have been identified and Living East is working in partnership with the Learning and Skills Councils and Sector Skills Councils to address these.

Cultural leadership

Living East is supporting a partnership funded by the East of England Development Agency, East of England Regional Assembly, MLA East of England and Screen East in seeking to improve capacity building on leadership in the region and to identify cultural leaders and future talent.

Click here to visit culture.ultralab.net

Download:

East of England Cultural leadership development initiative project information summary (2006)

Culture Sector, Skills and Learning Group (CSSLG)

The Culture Sector Skills and Learning Group is a strong regional skills network of representatives from the regional development agency, emerging cultural sector skills councils and key stakeholders including Arts Council England, East, MLA East of England, English Heritage, Screen East, Sport England, East, GO East and Association of Colleges in East region (ACER).  The network is co-ordinated by Living East and maintains a regional overview of strategic skills developments within the creative and cultural sectors.

The next meeting will take place in Cambridge on 29 November 2006.

Minutes of CSSLG Partnership Workshop: 20 March 2006 (Word document)
Minutes of the CSSLG: 6 Oct 2005 (Word document)

Skills Matrix for the Creative Industries

A Skills Matrix for the creative industries was developed in October 2003.  The project was undertaken by a team of consultants and commissioned by the CSSLG to BOP and Positive Solutions.  The matrix project was based on a model of mapping supply and demand and analysed models of regional good practice.  The results of this work highlighted the need for provision that better meets the needs of the creative sectors.

Development of a Skills Matrix for the Creative Industries (2003) – Full Report (Word document)

Development of a Skills Matrix for the Creative Industries (2003) – Executive Summary (Word document)