The Board of Creative and Cultural Industries Limited, the Sector Skills Council in Development for the Arts, Music, Crafts, Design, Museums and Cultural Heritage, is delighted to announce the appointment of Tom Bewick as its Chief Executive.

The Chair of Creative and Cultural Industries, Tony Hall said:

"Tom has all the qualities necessary to give inspired and dynamic leadership to our embryonic Sector Skills Council. This is such an important and exciting area in which to find skills for the future. I know Tom will make an enormous impact."

Tom is currently a Director of LSC Thames Gateway, which is Europe’s largest regeneration initiative and his role has been to lead the skills agenda across the Gateway, ensuring that the needs of both employers and communities are met. In his previous role, Tom was a senior adviser to the Department for Education and Skills, and was responsible for setting up the new business-led Sector Skills Development Agency (‘Skills for Business’ network), where he served as an Executive Director, until it became fully operational. He has spent over a decade working on education and training policy at national level.

Tom is passionate about vocational skills training, and the need for opportunities to be made available to everyone. He left school himself with no formal qualifications and after several failed training schemes and a spell working as a volunteer on an Indian reservation in Canada, Tom finally went onto higher education. He holds a first degree in social policy from the University of Bath, and a Masters degree from the University of Bath and Ljubljana (Slovenia) where he specialised in European training and employment policy.

In recognition of his achievements, Tom was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 1999.

In his spare time Tom is an occasional columnist for the Times Educational Supplement, enjoys arts and music and is a keen supporter of Arsenal Football Club.

On his appointment Tom is quoted as saying:

"I am absolutely delighted to take up this new challenge. Creative and cultural industries are the backbone of a 21st century economy in which the combined creative talents of individuals through to large corporations affect the lives of millions of people – delivering real prosperity to society while enriching communities in every part of the UK."

"My priority for the Creative and Cultural Industries Sector Skills Council, currently in Development, is to build a first class organisation, secure a licence from government and ensure that employers and individuals from the sector feel real ownership of an enterprise that is helping them secure both their current and future skills needs."

We are delighted to announce that the Board of the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) has formally approved the proposed Creative and Cultural Industries Sector Skills Council for entry into the Development Phase.

With the further announcement that Tony Hall (Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House) has become the new Chair of the proposed SSC, we know that we are well on the way to developing an influential body dedicated to co-ordinating training and professional development for every activity in the creative and cultural sector.

The proposed Creative and Cultural Industries Sector Skills Council (CCI SSC) will provide the strategic leadership and communication necessary for a highly fragmented sector where the majority of firms are micro businesses or small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The proposal setting out its intended functions, management structure and funding model was presented to the SSDA after wide consultation with the sector. Led by employers, it has the backing of more than 900 companies, trades associations and professional bodies around the UK, from graphic designers, potters and lace-makers to national museum directors, orchestras and theatre managers.

The Project Board would like to thank all those who have provided their support.

Now that it has become approved for the Development Phase – a period of around six months – the proposed SSC will develop a full business proposition to show how its priorities and targets will satisfy the requirements for a 5-year licence. We look forward to continuing to work with the SSDA to achieve this goal.

Arts Council England funding has enabled the CCISSC to be promoted in the Yorkshire, East Midlands and the South West regions of England.

For further details and/or to book a place please contact CIDA or Arts Council England on:

Yorkshire Events

• carmen@cida.org - (01484) 483146
• rachael@cida.org - (01484) 483143

South West Events

• hollie.richards@artscouncil.org.uk - (01392) 229263

Go to Events pages

The consortium of employers from the creative and cultural industries is delighted to report that the final draft EOI has been sent to the Sector Skills Development Agency for review. The full Expression of Interest will be submitted by Christmas.

Please keep an eye on this web site as early in the New Year the EOI document will be posted here in full.

Throughout November members of the consortium have been busy lobbying stakeholders and those in Government for their support so that the bid for a Sector Skills Council for the Creative and Cultural Industries will stand the best possible chance of success.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank again all those employers, trades associations and others who have extended their support during the year and we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

The Craft and Design questionnaires are now available to view. To view the each of the questionnaires please click on the links below.

CSD Members Questionnaire

Non-CSD Members Questionnaire

The consortium of employers from the creative and cultural industries is delighted to report an outstanding response to its invitation to support an Expression of Interest for Sector Skills Council status. From Cameron Mackintosh Ltd to the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, over 850 employers, agencies and other bodies across the UK have registered their support for this proposal. We would like to say 'thank you' to everyone who has responded so far.

We are particularly pleased that one of the first Sector Skills Councils, Skillset, (SSC for the Audio Visual Industries, including broadcast, film, video and interactive media) has given its backing. Skillset recognises - as does the consortium - that the proposed Creative and Cultural Industries SSC would need to collaborate on certain areas of employment in the future.

If your organisation is in the arts, crafts, cultural heritage, design or archives sector and you have not yet registered your support, we urge you to do so - your input is vital if the consortium is to make a successful bid. To respond - and view an updated sample of the growing list of supporting organisations - please view the Partners page.

There has been an outstanding response to the invitation to join with us and bid to be recognised as a Sector Skills Coucil. Throughout the SSC recognition process we will be updating our partners list and using all responses to support the application.

We continue to welcome expressions of support, so please do continue to complete the feedback form on the Your Views Page.

TOWARDS A CREATIVE AND CULTURAL INDUSTRIES SSC

A GROUP of key representatives drawn from the creative and cultural industries announced the double launch of a prospectus and website today.

The prospectus, 'THE RIGHT WAY FORWARD: An Invitation to the Creative and Cultural Industries', proposes the development of a Creative and Cultural Sector Skills Council and is being distributed throughout the UK to gain support from employers, stakeholders, agencies and other bodies.

Richard Pulford of the Theatrical Management Association and Society of London Theatre, two of the key representative bodies, said: 'We believe that a Sector Skills Council is the only option for our industries if they are to maintain their credibility and stay in the funding-for-training loop.' He continued, 'The creative and cultural industries already make a huge contribution to the economy and a Sector Skills Council will help us to improve skills and maintain our input.'

The areas of work covered by the proposed SSC include:

• Archives, libraries and information services
• The arts in all their forms
• Crafts
• Cultural heritage
• Design

It is intended that the new SSC will grow to embrace further areas of creative and cultural work.

Mark Taylor of the Museums Association, said: 'The contribution our sector makes to the country - socially, educationally, economically - is immense. Yet the workforce is underpaid, insufficiently trained and unappreciated. We need an SSC very badly.'

David Wears of Cultural Heritage NTO, added: 'In future the Government is likely to provide funds for training only through Sector Skills Councils. Without an SSC the consequences will be far-reaching, as we will be unable to continue the development of training, qualifications and professional standards. It is important that we act now.'

The group has also developed a fully interactive website to provide a forum for debate and offer detailed information about the SSC process. It provides an online response facility, a Welsh version of the prospectus, answers to sample questions and useful links.

This initiative is financially supported by Arts Council England and Resource: the Council for Museums, Archives & Libraries.

The group of key representatives working together to develop a Creative and Cultural SSC can be viewed on the partners page.