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Calling all professional and aspiring writers and literature workers

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

ccskills

Are you professional or aspiring novelist, poet, writer, translator, critic, editor or agent? Our sister Sector Skills Council, Creative and Cultural Skills, is running an open consultation on their Literature Blueprint.

The Blueprint is a UK-wide workforce development plan for the literature sector developed in conjunction with Arts Council England. It will analyse the skills needs of the literature sector and propose key actions in response.

Creative and Cultural Skills are inviting writers, literature development workers and others across the literature sector to contribute to the new plan to develop the skills needs of the industry.

If you are working in the sector, make sure you have your say. Download the Literature Blueprint here. Comments should be sent to: engagement@ccskills.org.uk

Deadline for feedback is Friday 19th March 2010.

Posted in Interactive, Publishing, Skillset, creative media, higher education | No Comments »

THE BRITISH FILM AND TELEVISION INDUSTRIES – DECLINE OR OPPORTUNITY

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

As you’ve probably have seen from our recent press activity, the Lords Communications Committee’s report on the state of the UK Film and TV industry was out this week. Not only was it a fine report, it had a lot of very good things to say about the importance of training and skills for the prosperity of the industry and our work at Skillset.

Here is a summary of what we said about the recommendations:

1. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills should encourage the Higher Education Funding Council to deploy some of its funding to support high-level, post-graduate training in the postproduction and animation sectors;
2. The Higher Education and Funding Council should encourage closer relationships between universities and the creative industries;
3. Skillset’s work on a code of conduct for internships. We are encouraged by the Committee’s support and we will soon be able to publish Guidelines for the industry that cover apprenticeships and other on-the-job training, as well as internships;
4. The film and television industries should provide more equal access to training and skills-based career development through greater use of apprenticeships and graduate internships;
5. Welcoming the continuing role played by the BBC and the BBC’s willingness to make its training more widely available through the launch of the BBC Academy;
6. Understanding the current pressures on the budgets of UK commercial public service broadcasters, but highlighting that a reduction in training budgets threatens the future competitiveness of the UK television industry and urging the Government to encourage them to revive their investment in training;
7. Regret that the UK Film Council should be forced to reduce significantly its funding for training for the next three years, at a time when training should be a priority. Skillset backs the Committee’s call for the Government to make sure that the UK Film Council is adequately funded to allow it at least to restore its former level of support for training;
8. Accepting that in an industry so dependent on freelance working and informal training, there is an urgent need to clarify the uncertainty around statutory definitions of training and asking the industry regulator to take a long term view.
9. Ofcom proposals to develop co-operation within the regulatory framework for training in TV and recommending Ofcom to publish guidance to clarify the roles of the organisations involved.

Here here!

Posted in Media Academies, Skillset, TV, creative media, higher education | No Comments »

Data Publishers Conference 2009: Future of Digital Publishing

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

dpa

This one day annual conference held each October brings together the great and the good from data and directory publishing. This year’s programme included strategic and practitioner streams which delegates used to share best practice, learning, practical skills and to review competing software and technology platforms.

I was particularly interested in the opening keynote session – including David Hendon, senior Director at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, who was there to put the government’s case – on the future of digital publishing. All the panelists were clear on the importance and immediacy of the impact of digital publishing on the industry and while there was a lot of discussion around the role of government in procurement as well as the use of and source of information, I was particularly interested in the panellist and audience response to the skills and innovation required to fuel the success of this sector.

It was agreed that the UK has the technology – or semantic – lead, but there were questions about whether as an industry they know enough about research in university that has the potential to seed future product development.

Tim Weller, CEO and founder of Incisive Media identified the following weaknesses in the public and private sector: a lack of specific skills; a lack of understanding of economic contribution of the creative industries; and clear structural, cyclical and regulatory threats to advertising revenues.

He identified a lack of action on the issues, but it wasn’t all about tax competitiveness being in decline or tackling piracy (both of which featured). He advocated supporting the genius of the arts and creative sector, citing the absence of allocated new university places to the creative industries as an example of where more could be done.

When I asked the panel for more detail on the skills in need, they talked of getting “back to basics”, getting more people through ICT courses in college and into the industry, developing more knowledge based courses to get people into our sector with the right knowledge and skills, and going back to schools to get the right skills in the curriculum (finance was specifically mentioned).

They acknowledged that industry needs to spend time training their teams, but added that the right students will come through in due course, that we are going to get there and are in transition. However, they also felt the need to push hard for the future rather than argue for what is right in the present.

The overwhelming message I took away was the need for information technologists: those with high level ICT or technical skills, but with creative and critical ability to think around solutions and the consumer. It throws the spotlight on work across technical and creative departments in higher education and how they must work together to develop the vital skills of the future workforce.

Watch the session on the DPA website.

Posted in Publishing, Skillset, creative media, higher education | No Comments »

Periodicals Training Council Magazine Academy 2009

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Last week saw the annual PTC bash celebrating excellence in the magazine and business media industry.

The Magazine Academy was held at the E Rejuvenation Centre in trendy Shoreditch and comprised the PTC Chairman’s Reception, the Magazine Academy Awards Presentation, and the PPA Professional Qualifications Graduation Ceremony.

Highlights included ‘Cheapskate’ winning The New Student Magazine of the Year Award for the University of Central Lancashire - a witty and well conceived take on living for less – and the long line of PPA Diploma Graduates lining up to receive their certificates and a firm handshake from Eric Verdon-Roe, PPA Consultant and former director at Haymarket.

My favourite moment was when the eponymous publisher Felix Dennis took to the stage to present the Felix Dennis Publisher of the Year award to Emily Hutchins at IPC Media.

Never one to do things by halves (Emily Hutchins receives £5,000 as part of her award) he also made an impromptu offer to publish the winner of the New Magazine Concept from the student category, ‘Wild’. A delighted Alice Lipscombe-Smith, another UCLan student, leapt up on stage to hug Dennis as he reflected on how his team back at the office would view the offer.

Wine and canapes aside, this was an inspiring illustration of an industry that celebrates excellence in higher education while investing and recognising CPD for existing staff.

Posted in Publishing, Skillset, higher education | No Comments »

Love Books? Thought about a career in publishing?

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

syp_logo

One of the key priorities identified in our publishing skills strategy is to open up the industry to a more diverse group of people and to provide relevant, realistic and accessible careers information and advice. So we’re delighted to be taking part in an event coming up next month. dipnet_logo

The Society of Young Publishers (SYP) and Diversity in Publishing Network (DIPNET) are holding a free event for students, recent graduates and those who are looking for a change of career at the University of East London on 4th November 2009.

A panel of speakers from the industry will provide an insight into publishing as a career choice. You don’t need to be studying English or publishing to come along as everyone – irrespective of degree choice – is welcome. There will be a panel of speakers who can help you find out if publishing is the right industry for you.

The panel comprises:
Bhavit Mehta – SYP & Publisher Saadhak Books
Louise Franklin – Publishing Sector Coordinator, Skillset
Sammia Rafique – Assistant Editor, Harper Collins
Jannetta Otter Barry – Publisher, Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Desmond O’Rourke – Treasurer of UK Association of Publishing Educators & Director of the in MA Publishing Studies at London College of Communication

Place: Main Reception, Room number EB2.88, East Building, University of East London, Docklands Campus. Contact Angie Solomon angie@thesyp.org.uk or Shelina Permalloo shelina.permalloo@booktrust.org.uk

Further information is available from the SYP http://www.thesyp.org.uk/ or DIPNET http://www.dipnet.org.uk/

How to get there: By Tube / DLR The Docklands Campus is directly opposite Cyprus DLR station. Trains to Beckton via Cyprus and Canning Town usually run at five-to-ten minute intervals. By Bus: Bus routes near the Docklands Campus include 101, 173, 262, 300, 366, 376, 474 and N551. The Docklands campus is within a short walking distance of Cyprus station.

This event is part of a series introducing publishing to more students as part of ongoing efforts to diversify the UK publishing industry. We’ll keep you updated on venues and dates.

Posted in Publishing, higher education | No Comments »

DOES THE MILK ROUND STILL DELIVER? The demise of the degree show and why we should do something about it

Sunday, August 16th, 2009

Hundreds of shows. Who can visit them all?

Producing relevant talent is just one aspect of the work of Skillset academies and accredited courses. Another is to interface and stay in dialogue with industry, and to feed back knowledge collected this way into the teaching system. In order to make this happen and lure industry into these relationships, the university needs to promote the work of its students, who are after all the output of this endeavour.

In the past it was enough to set up a shop-window and invite people to look in. On creative media courses this traditionally takes the form of the degree show, an annual rite of passage for the student, and an opportunity for industry to recruit or at least to get a drink of wine and informally network with the host institution.

But maybe now is the time to examine the degree show from industry’s perspective. A degree show is an excellent vehicle for students to test out their presentation skills, and an opportunity to take stock of their personal development, and even to learn from peers.

But as an opportunity for industry, it is increasingly anachronistic (more…)

Posted in Media Academies, Skillset, creative media, higher education | No Comments »