The Stage

National Skills Academy gets £5 million funding boost

Published Wednesday 11 November 2009 at 11:27 by Lalayn Baluch

The Learning and Skills Council has announced a £5 million funding boost for the proposed National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills in Thurrock, Essex.

It is hoped that the state of the art centre – which is expected to cost more than £10 million - will enable thousands of young people and apprentices the chance to access training in technical theatre and live music production.

Led by sector skills council Creative and Cultural Skills, the scheme will be supported by employers such as the National Theatre, Live Nation, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House.

Welcoming the funding boost, CC Skills chief executive Tom Bewick said: “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.”

The National Skills Academy already delivers training through its network of 19 Founder Colleges around the country, in partnership with 170 employers.

Bewick added: “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.”

CC Skills hopes that the scheme will create up to 1,000 jobs and make a major contribution to the regeneration of the area. The development is yet to get underway, but it is expected that the building will be completed by 2011.

Apprenticeships minister Kevin Brennan said: “This is an important time to make vital investment in improving the skills of the workforce. That’s why we continue to help people access the training they need to get into and get on at work, and in turn make sure that key sectors such as the creative and cultural industries are best placed to win those jobs of the future.”

Meanwhile, following his appointment as chair of the Cultural Olympiad, ROH chief executive Tony Hall is to stand down from his position of chair of CC Skills.

He has held the position since the organisation was founded in 2004. His replacement is yet to be announced.