Skills for the Creative Sector!
Cleveland College of Art & Design have recently secured single programme funding from the regional development agency One North East to deliver a range of non-accredited, higher skills training aimed at businesses in the creative sector. The money will also help purchase a number of new, state of the art pieces of equipment to aid the delivery of the training.
Melanie Shee, Business Development Manager for the Creative Industries said: “We are delighted to have secured this funding as it will allow the college to work even more closely with the region’s creative sector over the next 18 months”.
There are two distinct strands to the work:
Strand One: “Fashionably Focused” will be delivering a series of stand alone short courses aimed at the fashion and textiles sectors focusing on areas such as marketing your business, managing your teams, time management, SMART business planning, and Entrepreneurialism.
Strand Two: “Digital for Designers” is focusing on finding out what the creative sector’s digital skills needs are and then developing and delivering training to meet these needs. It envisions covering areas such as Advanced Illustrator Skills, CAD/CAM Pattern Cutting and Using a Digital Laser Cutter.
With over 100 years of developing specialist art and design provision in the North East, Cleveland College of Art & Design is ideally placed to work with businesses, freelancers or individual artists to help them develop and up-skill. As the only specialist art and design college in the region they have extensive experience of developing the next generation of highly skilled individuals for work within the creative industries both regionally, nationally and internationally.
Melanie said: “We recognise that freelancers and employers need training that is relevant, up-to-date and industry-specific. Through securing this funding will be able to work with them very closely to find out exactly what their skills needs are and deliver an exciting range of training which hopefully will help their business gain a competitive edge during these challenging times.
“The majority of staff at Cleveland College of Art & Design are practitioners themselves and therefore have a great understanding of the business needs in the creative sector. Many still have their own practices and run very successful businesses. They are extremely passionate about the creative industries!”
Much of the training will be free or at very low cost and delivered either at the college to small groups or where appropriate, on employer premises.
Over the next few months Cleveland College of Art & Design plan to visit and talk to freelancers and businesses to find out what their digital skills needs are as well as holding a number of larger forums in the area.
If you work within the fashion or textiles sectors and would like to find out more about the series of business skills or management and leadership workshops aimed at you, please let the College know.
For further information contact Melanie Shee, Business Development Manager for the Creative Industries, on 01429 288000, or by email to creativeskills@ccad.ac.uk
