Rt Hon John Denham MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has announced that the National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills (NSA) has secured £5 million of funding for a state of the art new building in Thurrock, enabling thousands of young people and Apprentices to access world class training in technical theatre and live music production. This building will enhance the nationwide activity of a National Skills Academy which is currently delivering through 19 founder Further Education Colleges across the country working in partnership with over 170 employers.
Welcoming the announcement, Tom Bewick, Group Chief Executive, Creative & Cultural Skills, said: "The National Skills Academy is fundamentally important to a live performance sector that generates over £6 billion per year for the UK economy. Initially it will provide world class training in the technical theatre and live music production industries, enabling young people to learn from established professionals ranging from backstage theatre experts to tour promoters and bands. Over time the NSA will cover the creative and cultural industries represented by the sector skills council. It's fantastic that after a huge amount of perseverance and hard work by all those involved this funding has now been secured. It marks an important milestone in achieving the full costs of the building."
As an employer led initiative the academy will provide training that is vitally important to the backstage theatre and live events industries. By 2017 it is estimated that there will be a need for 30,000 technicians. The academy will help ensure theatres, music venues and festival organisers have the workforce they need to continue growing and making a major contribution to the UK economy.
The state-of-the-art academy will be in Thurrock in the Thames Gateway. It is expected to create 1,000 jobs and make a major contribution to regeneration in the area. The building is shovel ready and is expected to be completed by 2011.
Andrea Stark, Executive Director, Arts Council England: 'The Arts Council is delighted with this commitment of £5 million from the Learning and Skills Council towards the National Skills Academy development in Thurrock. This project is of major importance to the arts in this country. I look forward to seeing the fundraising targets met within the next few months.'
Kevin Brennan MP, Minister for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs said: "Creative industries are increasingly important to the UK economy and the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills plays a vital role in supporting them and tackling skills shortages, especially in technical level skills.
"We're really glad this new project in Thurrock has got the go-ahead, providing opportunities for people to learn world-class skills in technical theatre and live music. It's going ahead thanks to partnership working between a number of agencies including Government with support from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
"This Government continues to invest in National Skills Academies because we want to build a system which meets the needs of businesses and individuals and creates a world-beating workforce which will support the industry's future development."
Geoff Russell, Chief Executive of the Learning and Skills Council, said: "I am delighted to welcome this important project which will bring a wide range of opportunities to help the economy prepare for the upturn by ensure we have the right skills and training in place to support the creative and cultural industries.
"As with other sectors, we are seeing that the skills academy programme is successful in bringing together employers and Government to provide the world class skills that our economy needs."
The National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills is a wholly owned subsidiary of Creative & Cultural Industries plc, the sector skills council for the creative and cultural industries.
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