Keynote Talk from The Digital Skills Summit: Powered by Wired Sussex on Monday 23rd March 2015 @ Komedia, Brighton

1. The Creative, Digital and Tech
Industries: Key Statistics, Skills
Needs and Solutions
Dr Kion Ahadi
Head of Research and Evaluation
The Digital Skills Summit: Powered by
Wired Sussex

2. About Creative Skillset
• We empower the Creative Industries to develop
skills and talent; by influencing and shaping policy,
ensuring quality and by securing the vital
investment for individuals to become the best in
their field and for businesses to grow.
• We work across film, television, radio, fashion,
animation, games, visual effects, textiles,
publishing, advertising and marketing
communications.

3. The Importance of the
Creative and Cultural
Industries
• 2.62m employed
– 1.71m creative/non-creative employment in creative industries
– 907,000 creative employment in non-creative industries
• £76.9bn Gross Value Added or 5% of total
• 8.8% of exports (£17.3bn)
• Exceptional GVA growth between 2008 to
2013: 25.8%
3

4. The Digital Tech Industry
• 1.46m employed in 47,200 companies
• 251k in Inner London
• 7.5k in Brighton which has the highest
concentration of digital companies
• 50% companies formed since 2008
• £53bn GVA
• 5.4% growth in employment by 2020

5. Common types of
Digital/Tech companies
• Software Development
• Advertising and Marketing
• Media and Entertainment
• E-Commerce
• Web Design and Technical
• Games Development and Publishing
• Data management and Analytics…

6. The Diversity Challenge
in Key Creative Industries
Sources: Creative Skillset Census 2012; Annual Population Survey; TCR; Creative Skillset Workforce Survey
2010, Labour Force Survey, Apr 2012-Mar 2013
6
2012 Women (%) BAME (%) Disabled (%)
50,605 45% 8% 4%
5,300 19% 1%
30,125 46% 6% 6%
5,475 14% 5% 7%
103,625 46% 9% 11%
152,060 35% 5% 7%
318,635 49% 17% 16%
192,355 44% 9% 14%
858,185 45% 11% 12%
Whole Economy 29,600,000 46% 10% 15%
Total
Other (Animation, Interactive Media etc)
Fashion & Textiles
Publishing
Sector
TV
VFX
Film
Games
Advertising

7. Higher Education
– Key statistics
• 2.5m full-time equivalent students in 2011/12. 243,759
(9.8%) studying Creative Skillset relevant courses.
• 89 per cent of all Creative Skillset relevant students
studying full-time, 69 per cent of all students in HE.
• Creative Skillset relevant students tend to be younger:
48 per cent between the ages of 18-20. Conversely only
11per cent are over the age of 30 compared to 26 per cent
for all students in HE.
7

8. HE Student Diversity
by sector
Source: HESA Student Record 2011/12 8

9. Graduate Destinations
Students doing Creative Skillset Ticked courses are more likely to be
employed and less likely to be unemployed than other graduates.
9
90%
7%
2% 1%
76%
10% 9%
5%
87%
4%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Employed Study Unemployed Other
Tick Accredited Graduates All Creative Industries (Non-Tick) Graduates All Graduates in UK Economy

10. The question of contacts…
10
4%
6%
6%
7%
12%
14%
16%
16%
20%
Speculative application
Media (e.g. newspaper/magazine…
Professional networking
Your university/college (e.g. Careers Service,…
Other
Employer’s website
Already worked there (including on an…
Recruitment agency/website
Personal contacts, including family and friends

11. Why address Diversity?
• Recruitment by recommendation or word
of mouth is understandable, particularly in
micro and small companies (40% in digital
sector use internal or peer
recommendation).
• But - growing evidence linking more diverse
workforce with improved performance.

12. Strategies
• Develop, promote and embed robust diversity
policy
• Ensure all facilities - physical and online - are
accessible
• Identify, support and promote positive role models
• Positive outreach programme with minority group
partner organisations
• Make flexible working available for all as a default
• Learn from mistakes

13. How we can help
• Diversity Fund - Grants of up to £1,600 to spend
on training and short courses to individuals who
belong to under-represented groups.
• Trainee Finder - gives you quick and easy access
to an online database housing some of the UK’s
top trainees for your projects.
• HIIVE – the new professional network for creative
people: 10,000 members and 1,000 companies…

14. Digital Skills Gaps
• Crytek, Source,
Unity, Unreal,
Android, iPhone,
Windows Phone
• Coders and
developers
• UX Designers
• 3D Equalizer, 3DS
Max, Houdini, Maya,
Modo, Motion Builder,
Nuke, Photoshop,
VRay, XSI, Z-Brush
• Action Script, C++, C#,
Java, MEL, PERL,
Python

15. Generic Skills Gaps
• Working in a Team
• Working to a
deadline
• Planning and
Project
Management
• Understanding the
industry
• Communication
• Sales
• Business
Development
• Understanding the
pipeline
• Client Expertise
• Management and
Leadership
• Finance

16. How we can help:
Funding
• Evidence gathered from the industries
of skills gaps and shortages is used to
make strategic investment decisions.
• We operate several schemes that invest
industry funding directly into creative
businesses so that they can boost skills
and develop talent in their companies.

17. Other Activities
• Include soft skills modules in apprenticeships and longer
courses
• Work with industry organisations to continue to lobby
government
• Promote industry via social media and online campaigns
• Produce content and materials to promote industry awareness
• Develop partnerships with industry, schools and careers
organisations
• Identify, support and promote pioneers and champions
• Promote student and new entrants work – e.g. HIIVE
• Participate in high profile events, conference, trade shows and
panels

18. Workforce Survey
• The largest training & skills survey of the creative
workforce
• Also covers career development and future plans.
– Educational background & qualifications gained
– Degrees studied for & institutions attended
– Work experience – paid/unpaid
– Entry into Creative sectors & progression in them
– Sources used for careers advice
– Career barriers experienced
• Main report & sector reports (Film, TV, Radio, Animation,
VFX, Digital, Games, Facilities) published in April 2015

19. Questions?