Taking the lead on a programme to help creative industries through the recession

Story Posted: 09 April 2009

Roehampton University will provide professional development courses worth an estimated £0.5m to people and businesses in London and the south-east who work in the creative industries.

The announcement comes after a successful bid to the Economic Challenge Investment Fund (ECIF), a scheme run by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The bid was submitted by the University with support from local individuals and businesses, including Pearson, Haymarket Media Group and London First.

In total, the ECIF scheme will see fifty-eight universities and colleges in England offer more than £50 million during an 18 month period to help over 50,000 people and 11,700 businesses hit by the recession.

In an effort to address a training shortfall of approximately 64 per cent in the local creative sector, which currently employs 170,000 people, Roehampton University will provide over 1,700 free places on a series of non-accredited continuing professional development courses.

A key target group for the project will be those less well represented in the creative industries including women and members of the black and minority ethnic communities. Roehampton University is well-placed to serve this group as over 40 percent of students are from an ethnic background and over 75 per cent are female. In addition, those who have recently been made unemployed and people wishing to enter or improve their skills within the sector will benefit from the scheme.

As Stephen Hughes, Director of Research and Business Development at Roehampton University explains,

“During this time of economic difficulty we were keen to apply our skills and expertise in a way that would directly stimulate and sustain growth in the local industry. It became evident to us that the creative industries are in immediate need of support".

“Through this scheme, the University will draw on its diversity and its leading expertise in film, journalism and media to provide up-to-date professional quality courses at no cost to the participant. Local professionals and businesses in the creative industry are encouraged to take advantage of this scheme which promises to boost performance without damaging the bottom-line at a time when many are struggling to stay afloat.”

More information on film, journalism, media, business, project management and administration courses available through the scheme, and enrolment details, will be released soon.