Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing support for workplace exchange programmes in the visual effects and post-production sector; and whether she is taking steps to encourage industry experts in that sector to provide vocational training.

The creative industries play a vital role in our economy and our nation’s cultural life. Making sure that the UK can provide a workforce with the right skills and capabilities is key to capturing the huge growth potential of the creative industries. The department recognises the importance of getting the right expertise into the classroom and the role that industry exchange has in making that happen.

Through the Local Skills Improvement Fund, the department has enabled further education (FE) providers to engage in two-way exchange with industry, building up long-lasting networks with employers. This could include, for example, employers hosting webinars, delivering guest seminars in their local FE provider, or inviting students and teachers to observe latest industry practice. Additionally, the Taking Teaching Further programme continues to support FE providers to recruit and provide early career support to those with the relevant knowledge and/or industry experience to retrain as FE teachers, aiming to boost the quality and industry-relevance of teaching. The national FE teacher recruitment campaign specifically targets industry professionals and encourages them to share their skills by considering a career in FE teaching. The department will continue to support the introduction of industry experts into vocational courses to share their skills and experience.