Government to end funding for Creative Careers

Government funding for an initiative designed to address skills and workforce shortages in the creative industries will end within three years, with alternative methods of finance to be explored, it has emerged.

DCMS has announced it will provide up to £947,000 for the next phase of the Creative Careers Programme, for the three-year period until March 2025, and is calling on charitable, philanthropic or benevolent institutions to bid for funding to deliver it.

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However, it does not intend to provide funding beyond this and is seeking ideas for how the long-term future of the programme can be secured.

"The delivery partner must provide a strategy for ensuring the future funding and delivery of the programme beyond [March 2025]," a guidance document published by DCMS states.

"DCMS welcomes innovative proposals for ensuring continued support for the programme."

A DCMS spokesperson confirmed to ArtsProfessional that the programme is "designed to not rely upon government funding" and other avenues, such as industry support and investment, should be explored by applicants.

In-kind support

The Creative Careers Programme was launched as a two-year pilot in 2018 with £2m of government funding in order to provide young people across England with specialist information, advice and guidance (IAG) about creative careers.

Delivered in partnership by Creative Industries Federation (now part of Creative UK), ScreenSkills and Creative & Cultural Skills, it has provided young people, careers advisors and schools across England with specialist information, advice and guidance about pursuing a career in the creative industries through a blend of online resources, in-person events and training.

Government money for the pilot programme was matched with £8.5m of in-kind support, mainly from creative employers hosting, delivering and participating in programme initiatives voluntarily.

DCMS said grant funding for 2022 to 2025 is conditional on proof of industry commitments to provide in-kind and cash support over the next three years.

It has also said that the programme will play an "important role" in government efforts to ensure the creative industries workforce is resilient, inclusive and productive as part of its Sector Vision, which is due to be published in the coming months.

Underrepresented backgrounds

The pilot’s evaluation found that after in-person events 86% of young people reported knowing more about "the kinds of jobs they could do" in the creative sectors, and 69% reported knowing "more about where to find information about jobs" in creative industries.

However, it did warn that the "geographic and subsector reach" of the programme was variable, with 44% of school talks taking place in London, and that the programme did not reach as many young people from underrepresented backgrounds as intended.

In light of this DCMS has said that over the next three years it wants the programme to have a specific focus on engaging young people from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

Donald Hyslop, Chair of Creative & Cultural Skills, said his organisation is keen to continue delivering the programme for the next three years and will be working with its partners to "refine the approach and offer for this renewed initiative".

He said that since the programme launched, delivery partners have worked with schools, careers advisers and industry professionals "to support a cultural shift in the way we think about creative careers".

"We’ve done this by creating a range of direct encounters for young people with employers that have provided hands-on experience of our sector through immersive events and work experience opportunities, alongside bringing leaders from across the creative industries into school assemblies, both in person and via ‘talking heads’ films," he added.

"We’ve also inspired students by delivering a suite of ‘myth-busting’ online resources for careers advisors, supporting them to provide quality advice and guidance to all those that could thrive in the creative industries regardless of background, as well as introducing the first ever online creative careers finder.

"Key for us was to ensure that it was employers who were at the heart of this far-reaching programme, with the sector taking responsibility for engaging and educating young people about the often ‘hidden’ roles that are available to them.

"Of course, whilst there is much to celebrate there is still work to be done. We remain as passionate as ever about breaking down the barriers that for so long have held young people from under-represented and disadvantaged communities back from forging fulfilling careers in the creative industries."

The grant will be open for applications until 5 July with the successful bidder being notified in August.