TRAINING


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Turning outcomes into opportunities


The government's announcement to support apprenticeships is great news for our sector


W The scheme will offer a wide range of opportunities within theatres


Vaizey unveils new arts bursary Young people to benefit from Arts Council initiative


By Tom Walker A new bursary scheme to help arts graduates pursue a career in the creative industries has been launched by the Depart- ment for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Culture minister Ed Vaizey has officially unveiled the new DCMS Jerwood Creative Bursaries Scheme, which is to be managed by the Jerwood Foundation on behalf of the government. Part-funded by Arts Council


England (ACE), the scheme is to run for an initial two-year period and is to be fully


evaluated before a decision is taken whether to continue it. The programme will


accommodate up to 40 graduated from 'less affluent' backgrounds to take up positions within arts and creative organisations for up to a year. Roles will include production assistant, assistance director and marketing assistant, with posts to be offered by groups such as The Sage, Gateshead, and Man- chester International Festival. Vaizey said: "The biggest


challenge for arts graduates is getting their first break."


New advanced Lifetime PT course


Training provider Lifetime has launched an Advanced Fitness Instructor (AFI) course which results in a Level 3 personal trainer qualification. The course is designed to


plug the gap left behind the decision by the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs) to remove the category of advanced fitness instructor earlier this year. Ben Jones, teaching and curriculum manager at


© Cybertrek 2010


Lifetime, said: "The qualifica- tion will be delivered via three tailored options, catering for AFIs at all stages in their careers. "The course combines


nutrition for physical activity with the conversion of AFI to private trainer status, while the fast track option allows those already qualified in health screening, fitness testing and nutrition to simply complete an assessment.


e've attracted more than £150m into the sector through apprenticeship funding over a


two year period. This funding represents the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits the apprenticeship programme brings to our sector and when you consider that a CSR outcome focuses on the government's commitment to an additional 75,000 apprenticeship places, we have a real opportunity to benefit further. The question is, are we ready to maximise that opportunity? As I write this month's column, the government has published


STEPHEN STUDD is chief executive of SkillsActive


its departmental business plans outlining its priorities for the next four years. The plan for the Department for Business Innovation and Skills states that it will 'expand and improve the quality of the apprenticeship programme by March 2015', this is great news for the sector. The programme is an excellent way for employers to shape their workforce and for young people to start their career in our sector; and not forgetting the huge amount of investment the programme can deliver. However the outcomes of the CSR state that there will be a 25 per cent reduction in overall funding for further education and skills over the next four years. This is a challenge for all sectors and once again places an


emphasis on individuals and employers investing themselves to compensate for the loss of public funding. Employers in our sector are used to investing in staff when it comes to training, but this is still a challenge. We need to ensure, now more than ever, we are influencing the decision makers when it comes to accessing public funding and that means demonstrating our worth, and crucially, taking advantage of all opportunities. Furthermore, the DCMS plan sets out how the government will


boost economic growth, equip the country for future success and transform the way culture, media, sport and tourism are delivered. It sets out priorities including delivering a successful Olympic Games, creating a sporting legacy from the Games, and creating the conditions for growth in the tourism, media, leisure, creative and cultural institutions, by stripping away red tape and stimulating private sector investment. These priorities put our sector at the heart of delivery, and we


must ensure that we have the people in place to support that delivery. The Games catapults our sector into the spotlight like never before. It will deliver a sporting legacy, but we must ensure that legacy includes community cohesion, social development and targets for getting the nation physically active. By working together and utilising the opportunities through these challenging times, I am confident that we will.


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