Filling the skills gap
CREATIVE firms on Teesside, which are in line to benefit from £7.5bn that the government announced for the sector yesterday, are being asked what skills they need to help them grow.
DigitalCity, the multi-million pound regeneration project supported by One NorthEast and Teesside University, wants to know where the knowledge gaps are in order to put together a programme of workshops, seminars and master-classes to support the sector, which is worth £8bn to the North-east and is forecast to generate 9,000 jobs on Teesside alone.
Based at the university, within the Institute of Digital Innovation, DigitalCity offers specialist facilities, business development and mentoring.
Responding to yesterday’s news, institute director Dr Jim TerKeurst said Middlesbrough was a natural home for the government’s proposed creative skills academy and business hub. “I think Teesside is in a unique position in that we already have a significant number of creative businesses on Teesside and with the BBC moving to Salford we are well positioned to be a major link in the creative chain.”
The broadcaster recently announced it was to move five key departments out of London to Salford Quays, giving regional firms access to a major local media buyer for the first time.
Anyone interested in contributing ideas to DigitalCity’s events, which are also open to companies working in more traditional creative industries, such as fine artists, are invited to contact scott@thedigitalcity.org or call 01642 384332.
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