Channel 4 Response to Skillset consultation on Skills and Talent Development in the Creative Industries

Transcription

1 Channel 4 Response to Skillset consultation on Skills and Talent Development in the Creative Industries 1. Channel 4 welcomes the opportunity to contribute to this Skillset review, which will inform the work of the Creative Industries Council s Skills Group. As a public service broadcaster with a remit to nurture talent and cater to culturally diverse audiences, as well as a desire to ensure its content feels fresh and distinctive, Channel 4 has a unique role in supporting emerging and established talent across television, film and digital media. 2. Supporting the on-going development of skills and talent in the creative industries is a vital objective for the media sector as well as UK plc more generally. The creative industries have contributed significantly to the UK s cultural reputation, and the Government has rightly identified the creative industries as a future driver of the country s economic growth. However, if the sector is to fulfil its potential, we must ensure that the creative talent base that exists here is fully equipped to respond to the rapid changes of the digital landscape. 3. Channel 4 would emphasise that the industry does not require a one-size-fits-all skills strategy. Channel 4 believes that the recommendations of the Creative Industries Council should therefore focus on encouraging industry-led innovation, and ensuring that educational institutions can respond to the needs of a mobile, digitally native, generation. Role of Channel 4 4. Channel 4 is the UK s only publicly-owned, commercially-funded public service broadcaster, with a remit to be innovative, experimental and distinctive. In addition to the main Channel 4 service, its portfolio includes E4, More4, Film4 and 4Music, as well as an ever-growing range of online activities that includes channel4.com, Channel 4's bespoke video-on-demand service 4oD and standalone digital projects. Through Film4, it is also a major investor in original UK feature film. 5. Channel 4 spends approximately 10m a year on talent and skills development. This includes funding and supporting external skills and academic bodies as well as running award-winning in-house schemes for its own staff and the broader industry. 6. Through its 4Talent programme, Channel 4 runs a range of training and workrelated learning schemes aimed at providing opportunities to young people at the beginning of their careers who may not otherwise consider a career in the media. In October 2008 Channel 4 launched its Kick Start programme, which includes work experience, inspiration days and structured paid internships and apprenticeships. Since its launch, Kick Start has had direct engagement with over 2000 young people aged between 11 and 25, working with over 400 schools, colleges, charities and community groups. 7. This work has been highly acclaimed with Kick Start most recently winning a Business in the Community Work Inspiration Award, as well as a National Council for Work Experience Award for Best Work Experience Provider and a Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge.

2 8. For emerging creative talents, such as writers, directors and comedians, Channel 4 runs a range of dedicated initiatives aimed at identifying and nurturing distinctive new voices. These include Coming Up, a drama strand for new writers and directors, to the new online initiative Comedy Blaps, in which comedy films from up-and-coming writers, performers, directors and animators are made available via a series of Channel 4 podcasts, and promoted on Facebook and Twitter. 9. Channel 4 also supports long-term career development for those already working within the media industry. This includes promoting mentoring opportunities, hosting master classes and networking events and providing Channel 4 staff with a wide range of training courses. 10. Channel 4 believes that through these kinds of initiatives it can play an important role in ensuring the UK has the best creative talent in the world, and enable the UK s creative industries to be an important driver of economic growth in the years to come. Schools and Careers 11. As recently noted by Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, as well as other industry voices such as BSAC, the UK education system currently creates an artificial distinction between arts and science subjects and this is not the most effective means of producing world-class creative talent in a digital age. Many of today s creative jobs from programming computer games to producing special effects in films - demand both creative flair and technical prowess, and if the UK is to compete internationally, it is vital that students have this broad range of skills and expertise. 12. Channel 4 also believes that schools could do more to value and promote general skills such as creativity and entrepreneurship. These skills are not just learned through specific lessons such as arts or business studies but can be encouraged through an emphasis on teaching creative and entrepreneurial approaches to a range of different subjects, as well as exposure to industry. 13. Channel 4 also believes that the Government should conduct a root and branch review of the Careers Service, to ensure that it can signpost young people more effectively to the broad range of careers options available. In particular, this service could do more to broaden its networks and link up with industry experts who can answer specific questions about potential professions. This could be through partnering with online services such as Horsesmouth, an online mentoring and coaching website that 4Talent is working with, which links users to professionals in a range of careers, including media, law, medicine and finance. 14. Most importantly, Channel 4 believes that schools must recognise the different expectations that young people today have about their careers, and the changing ways in which they learn. For example, in Channel 4 s experience, the connected generation are more mobile, more entrepreneurial, and less interested in formal advice sessions and life-long careers than previous generations. They are used to accessing information online, engaging in participatory conversations, and are interested in starting up their own businesses and developing their own creativity through social media platforms. These new approaches could have significant

3 implications for the traditional routes to entry advised by schools, and Channel 4 would therefore emphasise the importance of ensuring any careers support offered recognises this generational shift. Gaining entry to creative industries 15. Channel 4 wholeheartedly supports the Government s focus on the issue of social mobility, believing that harnessing the full range of talent and skills available in the UK is essential not only in building a fairer society, but also in strengthening industry. 16. Broadening access to diverse groups is particularly important for the creative industries. Jobs are often dependent on establishing personal relationships with those already in the industry, meaning that many people hoping to find work undertake unpaid internships in order to gain experience and contacts. New entrants are predominantly graduates with fewer opportunities for those who do not have a degree. As a result of this culture, the creative industries as a whole remains under-representative of some social groups such as ethnic minorities, disabled people, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. 17. For this reason, Channel 4 is proud to have become a founding signatory to the Government s Social Mobility Business Compact, in which it has pledged to support communities and schools, recruit fairly and openly, and provide opportunities for all young people to get a foot on the ladder. 18. As outlined, through its 4Talent department, Channel 4 runs a number of new entrant schemes with the specific aim of breaking down barriers to entry. These schemes seek to provide opportunities to young people, irrespective of background, enabling them to expand their skills, increase their employability and broadening the voices and talents within the industry. Over 50% of participants across the programme have come from a diverse background. 19. While steps are being taken by individual companies to broaden access to the creative industries, Channel 4 believes that improvements could still be made at both an industry and national level. For example, while the public service broadcasters offer extensive opportunities for new talent to gain access to the media, Channel 4 believes more could be done to incentivise a broader range of media companies to open up access. 20. Limiting the red-tape involved in setting up apprenticeships and work experience schemes could be a useful way of doing this. For example, some existing kitemarks for work experience schemes require an extensive, and costly, evaluation process. This has led to only a small number of organisations, all multi-national companies, applying. Channel 4 believes that it is important for schemes aimed at encouraging work experience opportunities are flexible enough to appeal to smaller organisations and do not become an administrative burden. Similarly, the process for accessing funding for apprenticeships can at times be lengthy and time-consuming, potentially deterring smaller companies from applying. Channel 4 therefore suggests that the processes are made easier for applicants to register their interest and unlock funding. 21. Similarly, companies in all sectors would benefit from more detailed guidelines on work experience placements, particularly regarding their eligibility for the

4 minimum wage to be paid. Channel 4 adheres to industry guidelines that placements above 2 weeks should be paid and believes that it would be beneficial if this practice was adopted by other industries. 22. While guidance on this specific issue would be welcome, Channel 4 would advise against an overall approach to new entrants that is too top-down. Channel 4 believes that encouraging companies to innovate themselves, and develop programmes that meet the skills gaps and needs of their specific industry, is the best way of meeting the needs of new entrants. 23. In addition to promoting access to people from different backgrounds, Channel 4 would also emphasise the importance of reaching out to people from different geographical locations and ensuring that skills initiatives are not solely focused in areas where there are existing industry hubs. While the broadcasting industry remains centred in London, Channel 4 has sought to engage young people from across the UK in its work, to give them a view of what careers are available in their areas. Skillset also plays a vital role outside of London, and Channel 4 would suggest that supporting skills development outside of London should remain a priority, to ensure that people are not excluded from the creative industries just because they are not based in London. Investment in long-term skills development Partnerships 24. It is important that any skills strategy considers the development of people throughout their careers, in addition to new entrants. This is particularly important considering the rapid speed of technological change affecting the creative industries, as well as the broader demographic changes in the UK, in which older members of the workforce are increasingly outnumbering young people. 25. It is therefore important for companies to provide clear pathways for individuals to progress in their careers, and adopt initiatives to help existing staff retrain and learn new skills, particularly in the areas of digital and technological innovation. As noted above, Channel 4 runs a range of programmes aimed at developing the careers of its staff and the wider industry including mentoring, networking events and specialist training courses. 26. The freelance nature of the television and radio workforce is a particularly important issue within this context as there is no one specific company charged with their training and development. While the public service broadcasters and organisations such as Skillset and the Indie Training Fund all invest in programmes for freelancers, Channel 4 believes that larger companies, such as independent producers, also have a role to play. 27. It is vital to any cohesive skills strategy that there is a regular programme of engagement between industry and educational institutions. 28. Channel 4 works closely with schools and colleges across the country to identify new talent. Staff members attend careers days at schools and universities, talk to pupils directly about the range of employment options available in the media

5 industry and encourage them to attend Channel 4 s own open days. Channel 4 has also developed relationships with specialist creative schools. 29. For example, Channel 4 has backed the launch of the new Hyper Island digital media programme in Manchester, which aims to deliver innovative, businessfocused learning to students by encouraging them to undertake project-based work set by real clients. The programme has been shaped by media professionals, with the ambition of creating industry-ready graduates. 30. Channel 4 has also worked with Abertay University in Dundee, a leader in games development, to support a new generation of digital talent that can work across a range of platforms. 31. Channel 4 would note that the success of these partnerships is founded on how easy it is to approach and develop relationships with specific institutions. In Channel 4 s experience, this process has been most simple at Academy and specialist schools, where are there are clear points of contact for industry to liaise with. Channel 4 would therefore suggest that more schools nominate members of staff to act as points of contact for industry. 32. Channel 4 has also worked with a wide range of industry partners to promote skills development and encourage creativity. For example, it works closely with organisations such as the Media Trust and Nesta on initiatives to provide young people with practical experience of the media. 4Talent also regularly promotes creative networks such as IdeasTap, Firstlight and Social Enterprise to link creative young people with funding opportunities, as well as supporting business charities such as the Bright Ideas Trust, with the aim of encouraging cross-sector expertise. 33. As the main mechanism for supporting skills development in the creative industries, Channel 4 is a proud supporter and partner of Skillset. It has a proven track record in working collaboratively and constructively with industry to deliver tangible and valuable outcomes. Channel 4 believes this industry-led, outcomedriven approach will be crucial going forward, and encourages Skillset to invest further in innovations and pilot initiatives that will enable the creative industries to develop employees with the right skills for the future. ENDS Sep 2011