Business West & Western Training Provider Network Creative & Digital Provider Action Planning Report 2018/19 Connecting for success Education Providers Priority Sector Overview and Gap Analysis for the West of England This report has been prepared by: The Provider Action Planning reports for 2018/19 provide an overview of skills provision in the West of England, highlight best practice, provide up-to-date intelligence on activities and curriculum from a wide range of providers and celebrate the achievements and expertise of education in the region. Each sector-specific report shares insights into the skills challenges faced by businesses in 2018, how education providers have responded to these challenges, plus future potential solutions and partnerships for stakeholders to collaborate. They also highlight the gaps and challenges that exist in education provision in the West of England. Business West is working in partnership with the West of England Combined Authority, West of England LEP and the region’s universities, colleges and training providers through the Western Training Provider Network. The report will feed into the West of England skills strategy which will inform key priorities for investment in training, education, careers advice and professional development in the region. Creative & Digital Introduction The Skills West project has been created because Methodology of a need to influence change over the local skills system to ensure it responds to local skills strategies. Since January 2017 the ‘Skills West’ SD02 ‘Provider Whilst the local economy is growing and doing well, Action Planning’ stream of activity has focused on businesses are increasingly highlighting skills gaps and the seven West of England LEP priority sectors and shortages that are constraining them from achieving provision delivered by the four further education their business objectives and ultimately economic colleges (Bath College, City of Bristol College, South growth. The potential absence of relevant and Gloucestershire and Stroud College and Weston accessible provision and a fully functioning local talent College), the four local universities (University of Bristol, supply chain results in employers being unable to University of the West of England, University of Bath, upskill current staff or recruit suitably skilled individuals Bath Spa University) and independent training providers within the West of England LEP area. This in turn has a delivering training in the West of England region. negative effect on the local economy. The approach of the Business West, Skills West Improved employer engagement has the potential to programme to ‘Provider Action Planning’ builds on 3 transform the local skills agenda; it can increase the elements: quality, quantity and range of opportunities available to local people and employers. Employers need to 1. Previous collaborative work that the four regional become proactively involved in setting the skills agenda further education colleges undertook with the and helping determine local education provision. West of England LEP. 2. The inclusion of the Western Training Provider This report is the 3rd of 3 reports on provision activity Network as a key project partner, thus widening and planning from education and training providers the scope of activity and mapping to include practicing in the creative and digital sector. independent training providers that deliver regionally and attempting to add mapping and Business West is working in partnership with the West activity of the four-local Universities; UWE Bristol of England Combined Authority, West of England LEP are a member of the WTPN. and the region’s universities, colleges and training 3. Work achieved previously with employers in providers through the Western Training Provider the priority sector groups to understand the skills Network. challenges and issues employers face and possible solutions explored between employers/ The report will feed into the West of England training providers at ‘Future Skills’ Immersion skills strategy which will inform key priorities for events and one to one discussions with investment in training, education, careers advice and employers through the Business Skills Advisers at professional development in the region. Business West. Please note that the authors of the report worked with a breadth of education providers in the region to ensure a wide response. Education providers were asked to feed into the report but not all responses may be represented. Creative & Digital The ‘Provider Action Planning’ strand of work is based than the 1st round of reporting by recording all the around several sector skills priorities and challenges collaborative activities that the providers; stimulated (and potential activity identified which could provide and supported by Business West undertook between solutions to the challenges) which were then posed the two reports. to skills providers in the region. These challenges are taken from the local labour market economic For this 3rd round of reporting, Skills West has again intelligence and sector skills priorities identified in the followed the same methodology as in the previous current set of ‘2017/18 Local Sector Skills Statements’. rounds of reporting: Industry skills gaps, challenges and possible actions 1. Liaise with Principles, Vice Principles, Faculty for providers to undertake are mirrored in each Local Heads, Area Managers (large independent Sector Skills Statement and the challenges are themed training providers), to meet face to face with or under the following headings as set by the West of sit with curriculum leads on planning cycle England LEP: panels. 2. Arrange follow up meetings, telephone 1. Improve Careers Education Information Advice interviews and other guided sessions to and Guidance gather evidence and collaborate on the return 2. Improve the relevance and/or quality of provision of information pertinent to provider’s activity 3. Increase starts and availability of higher and progression against the sector skills Apprenticeships statement themes and challenges.Increase starts and availability of higher 4. Engage SMEs to boost productivity and build apprenticeships. capacity for growth 3. Report on any significant joint activity between 5. Enhance equality and diversity through multiple education providers and any significant work career pathways carried out in the Skills West Future Skills Immersion events. The challenges are followed with possible solutions 4. To put all of this up to date reporting into this that have been suggested by the WE LEP and final 3rd action planning cycle report and make associated sector groups. Each sector has produced a suggestions for continued activity. range of unique challenges and solutions. Overall this project aims to ensure that employers have access to the right training, suitably skilled workforce and supply chain, which enables them to address the skills needs they are facing. The first Provider Action Planning report delivered in 2017 collected information on training and education providers activity against the five key themes laid out in the Local Sector Skills Statements, made suggestions to continue improvement in the skills system and detailed areas for potential collaboration. The second report delivered in 2018 detailed further individual progress from providers on their activity against the themes and challenges represented in the sector. The 2nd report also went a stage further Creative & Digital Sector Overview The creative and digital industry continues to put the West of England firmly on the map: it is widely recognised as having two of the nine creative centres outside of London. Nationally, the Creative Industries contributed £101.5bn to the UK economy in 2017 and the Cultural Sector £29.5bn, both sectors with key hubs across Bristol and Bath. (1) The creative and digital sector in the West of England The Bottle Yard Studios in South Bristol continues to is renowned for its world-class pioneering work, with grow and develop, attracting high-profile projects. global expertise across animation, natural history Crew levels are challenging, especially for 2018-19, production, VR/AR, digital publishing and software with an increased number of productions coming development. into the West. With Wales also attracting incentivised large-scale dramas, the shortage of film crew is Some of the UK’s most highly respected and award- quickly becoming a wider South West issue, this will winning businesses started in the West of England, be exacerbated by the removal of the Severn bridge these include Aardman Animations, BBC Natural crossing toll, leading to cheaper production and crew History Unit, the Yogscast, IMDb, Icon Films, Future travel costs for Film and TV productions. Publishing and Nomensa. Bristol and Bath have also attracted many major international and national The profile of the region as a key UK centre for companies who have located their head offices in creative production is growing, underpinned by a the city, particularly where they can get access to the strong cultural sector. The differentiating factor is the digital talent base. combination of Creative and Technology as “CreaTech”, and the concentration of companies and entities in the Research by Tech Nation 2018, the UK government city centres of Bristol and Bath, plus the development backed organisation which helps to promote the of a cluster in North Somerset at Weston. The sector is growth of the digital tech sector, reveals that the