How creative skills needs are changing

Across all creative industries, there is a recognition of the dramatic changes brought about by the digital environment and the need to 'up-skill' to make the most of it, writes The Council for Industry and Higher Education.

The following creative areas, skills or occupations are of particular importance:

 • Multi-skilling

Required is an understanding of different technologies and their impact on content development, products and digital work flow, with a focus on new approaches to working in crossfunctional creative / technical teams within and across companies.

• Multi-platform skills

The creative and technical skills to develop and produce creative content for distribution across all potential platforms, and the ability to understand and exploit technological advances.

• Management, leadership, business and entrepreneurial skills

A hybrid skill-set that combines effective leadership with innovation. So creativity and the understanding of technology, alongside the analytical skills to understand audience interests and translate it into business intelligence - often the skills of a project manager overseeing multi-platform development.

• IP and content monetisation

The focus here is on an understanding of intellectual property legislation to protect from piracy, and exploiting intellectual property internationally to take full advantage of emerging markets. Central to this is the ability to deal with the problem of illegal downloading and copyright infringement.

• Broadcast engineering

This continues to be an area of skills shortage.

 • Archiving

Archiving of digital content is an area which is currently attracting increased attention as a challenging issue for the future.

• Sales and marketing

Skills that are particularly important in commercial radio, fashion and textiles and graphic design occupations, and an emerging need in other sectors.

• Graphic design roles

These are in short supply particularly in advertising and design, and emerging in other sectors.

• Skilled archaeologists and visitor relations experts

Such professionals are in short supply in cultural heritage.

• Fashion

Demand for occupations with a combination of both creative ideas and technical skills, and major skills shortages include design and textile technology.