Nearly half of the national employment in this wide sector is found in London. New technologies, an aging workforce and an increase in the volume of production in the audio visual industries have led to shortages of industry-standard qualified and trained staff. London’s dynamic growth in live music and theatre has created a need for specialist skills in backstage and technical areas. In the cultural and creative industries, it is estimated that there will be growth in jobs requiring an additional 200,000 highly skilled workers by 2014.  These industries tend to have a younger age profile than the audio-visual industries but there is an identified need for work-related education and training.

Lucy Jenks is based at Goldsmiths and is the lead for the Creative, Communications and Media sector.  

Lucy organises the Creative, Communications and Media Sector Working Group. This group sets the overall strategy for SELLLN’s engagement with the sector.

As well as membership drawn from our partner colleges and universities, the group includes representatives from Creative and Cultural Skills, the sector skills council for the cultural and creative industries, Creative Process and the Greenwich Theatre.

SELLLN is already funding several initiatives in the Creative, Communications and Media area. These include a feasibility study for a prospective MA in Creative Innovation, the Young Design Programme (in association with the Sorrell Foundation), extending learning for access to music students for progression to HE, and diversifying the provision of fashion education to enhance progression to HE.

SELLLN’s first suite of signed progression agreements are from BTEC National Diploma to the BA (Hons) Design at Goldsmiths. Several more progression agreements, in a range of art and design programmes and media courses are currently in development.