Creative Industries Guidelines Recommended

Employers are being urged to embrace new guidelines which aim to clarify their responsibilities around volunteering, work experience, internships, traineeships and apprenticeships in the creative industry.
The guidelines were launched as new statistics reveal that almost half of the creative media workforce (44 per cent) said they had carried out unpaid work to get into the industry.
The guidelines clearly set out the law and employment duties in the creative industries, where gaining entry is so often informal and open to a “who you know” culture.
Put together by Skillset in collaboration with the Creative & Cultural Skills and Arts Council England, the guidance aims to promote good practice and clarify the various entry routes into the creative industries.
It is the first time such guidelines have been drawn up for the creative and cultural industries.
They include:

• Limiting work experience placements to no more than 160 hours and reimbursing expenses
• Paying at least the National Minimum Wage for anyone on a graduate internship
• Limiting the working week of trainees and interns to 40 hours

GMTV Chairman and Skillset Chair Clive Jones said: "Getting a job in the creative industries should be about talent and potential. Yet this can prove challenging, given the sheer numbers who want a job and how informal entry often is.
"We understand that the recession and its impact mean that this is a challenging time for the industry. But by addressing this issue now we are seeking to make sure that the best and brightest talent is given fair access – and securing that talent is one of the best ways that we can ensure our future."
Skillset Chief Executive Dinah Caine said: "We hope these guidelines will lay solid foundations for employers, setting out responsibilities in a clear and accessible way."
More information about guidelines for employers offering work placements in the creative industries can be found at: www.skillset.org/workplacementguidelines
(BMcN/BMcc)