Skillset Salutes Outgoing Chair Clive Jones

Skillset's longest serving chair, Clive Jones, CBE, is bowing out following its December Board meeting after eight years at the helm.
Clive has presided over an exceptional period in Skillset's history, during which time it evolved from a National Training Organisation to become the first Trailblazer Sector Skills Council (for the Audio Visual Industries) and ultimately the SSC for the much expanded footprint of the Creative Media and Fashion & Textiles Industries that it is today. He also ensured that Skillset was one of the first SSC's to be re-licensed in 2009.
In his time as Chair, Clive has guided Skillset as its remit expanded to include first photo imaging and publishing, and then most recently advertising and fashion and textiles. He also led a complete governance review resulting in a new Board and the establishment of representative Boards in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
He has overseen the dramatic expansion of Skillset's research programme, which has established the organisation as the leading authority on Labour Market Information for the Creative Media and Fashion & Textiles Industries.
Clive was also a driving figure behind the establishment of the Diploma Development Partnership, which put employers in the driving seat of developing new qualifications for 14 - 19-year-olds.
As well as his strategic leadership of Skillset, Clive has been a leading figure within the UK television industry, and a tireless champion for diversity and of placing employers' needs at the centre of skills and talent development.
Clive's contribution to skills issues facing the UK stretches way beyond his heartland of the Creative Media Industries. He has been a key player and ambassador for the crucial role of skills across industrial sectors, and was also instrumental in the creation of the Alliance of Sector Skills Councils, which has provided the UK's 23 SSC's with a united voice on skills issues.
Skillst's Chief Executive Dinah Caine, said: "It is impossible to adequately describe the contribution that Clive has made - not just to Skillset, but to the whole skills landscape in his eight years as Chair of our board. Clive has provided bold leadership and sage guidance through such an eventful period for our organisation. He will be dearly missed, though we are reassured to know that he will maintain his involvement with Skillset in the future as one of our patrons.
Skillset has also announced the appointment of the Chief Executive of Icon Entertainment UK, Stewart Till, CBE, as the new Chair of its board of directors. Till will take over in January.
Dinah Caine commented: "We are delighted to welcome Stewart as Skillset's new Chair. He has served on our board as Deputy Chair and there are few people who know the organisation as well as him, or have his level of skill as a Chair. We know that his experience as one of the leading figures in the UK's Creative industries will be invaluable. Crucially, he provides continuity as the organisation navigates its way through this next period within our ever changing creative industries and a challenging public policy context."
Clive Jones said: "It has been an honour and delight to chair Skillset over the past eight years. It is very easy to lead an organisation, when it is staffed from top to bottom with talented and committed people. It is also a pleasure to hand the chairmanship to Stewart, who I know shares my passion for the development of skills and talent in the creative industries."
Stewart Till said: "Clive is irreplaceable; but I so admire Skillset and respect their work, when I was offered the position I instantly accepted."
(KMcA)