Creativity is on the radar

Mar 20 2008 By Sue Scott, Evening Gazette

TEESSIDE’S reputation as a digital and creative hothouse has put it on the radar of some of the most dynamic companies in the UK.

Organisers of ExpoTees, a showcase of University of Teesside talent, which closed on Tuesday, saw 50 of them in Middlesbrough to headhunt students following their graduation this summer.

“They descended on us like flies on soup,” said senior lecturer at the school of computing, Barry Hebbron.

“Their hawkishness shocked me - they ticked off people they needed to talk to and wouldn’t be redirected! Next year, we’ll have even more coming.”

He said part of the attraction was the range of skills on display.

“At one end of the spectrum we had artists and at the other, programmers. To have all those in the same place at the same time was unique for those organisations. It was like shopping in a supermarket for them.”

Last month, the government announced plans to boost the creative and media sector with the creation of 5,000 apprenticeships by 2012.

But the entry point for most students joining the industry from university was already some form of informal internship, said Mr Hebbron.

Around half of students on digital and creative courses were local, he said.

“They don’t need to go elsewhere to get a world class education in digital media.”