Creative Skillset calls for investment fund input

Games companies and employers who have joined Creative Skillset’s online industry panel will be asked their opinions on questions relating to the Skills Investment Fund (SIF), which aims to benefit the UK games industry.

The SIF will see the Government co-invest up to £16m to match industries’ leading to a total of £32m over two years.

The fund addresses skills gaps and shortages in the creative industries, including games, film, animation, high-end TV and VFX. Creative Skillset is working with these industries to identify priority skills areas and ways to address shortages.

Following a pilot panel in February, the June survey will feed into this vital research on skills needs and industry priorities for the Skills Investment Fund. Questions will centre around the occupations in which vacancies are proving hard to fill, the demand for match-funded trainees and whether new, work-based degree programmes with more employer involvement will address concerns around graduates lacking skills and experience needed by employers.

To contribute to Creative Skillset industry research into the SIF and how it can best benefit the computer games industry, employers can sign up to the online Employer Panel at www.creativeskillset.org/employerpanel before June 24th, when the next survey will go live.

The online surveys contain no more than ten quick questions each and contributors get priority access to the results. There will be no more than three short surveys a year.

Further details on the Skills Investment Fund can be found online at www.creativeskillset.org/sif.