Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of trends in entries for art and design GCSEs and A-levels on the future ability of creative industries to recruit skilled staff.

The government set out plans for addressing the skills needs of the creative industries in the Creative Industries Sector Vision published by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in June. As the vision sets out, the skills needs of the creative industries are complex and qualifications needed to enter the wide range of posts available in the industry will vary. In light of this, an assessment of the specific impact of art and design GCSE and A-level entry on the creative industry has not been carried out. The department is, however, delivering a wide range of skills programmes and reforms to deliver the skills needed by employers in this industry.

Employers in the Creative and Design sector have developed 58 high-quality apprenticeship standards including Creative Venue Technician, VFX artist, and Media Production Coordinator. Alongside this, T Levels, which are aligned to the same employer-led standards as apprenticeships, will also support the pipeline of talent into the creative industries. New T Levels in Craft and Design, and Media, Broadcast and Production will be rolled out in 2024.

The department’s reforms to higher technical education (level 4/5) include the introduction of Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs). These are current (and new) level 4-5 qualifications approved, and quality marked by the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education as providing the skills demanded in the workplace by employers.  31 Digital HTQs launched for AY 22/23. Creative and Design HTQs will be available for teaching from September 2025.