Skills set to lead agenda of government-backed study: creative & cultural skills to examine educational routes into industry.(Training)

The music industry is being handed its first opportunity to shape the skills of its future employees by influencing and delivering training and education through schools, colleges and universities.

Government-backed body Creative & Cultural Skills (CCS) is undertaking a massive research project, which will examine the size and shape of the creative industries, including the music sector.

That analysis will help the industry sector and the skills council assess whether the thousands of current qualifications offered that provide a route into the music industry--such as BA Music and City & Guilds in music technology--are the right ones for the business in the 21st Century, before then drawing up new qualifications to fit the requirements of music companies.

CCS music industry skills director Al Tickell says, "The music industry is being given the opportunity to define what it needs today from its employees. We will then place that intelligence with educational establishments, so that they tailor their syllabuses to be more responsive to the music business."

Tickell and her colleagues at the CCS, which was handed its government licence in July 2005 coupled with a 4m [pounds sterling] grant, have already taken the first steps towards this by creating an advisory panel. This panel is chaired by EMI Group chairman Eric Nicoli and includes top-level music executives including EMI's Tony Wadsworth, Sony BMG's Rob Stringer and HMV'S Steve Knott. It is scheduled to meet on February 1, when it is expected to flag up issues of skills shortages, which may then be fed into the Music ...