Third industry Census launched

The annual census of the audio visual industries is three years old this year and will be taking place on Wednesday June 26 2002.
The census is carried out by Skillset, the Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries, and surveys companies in order to estimate how many people are working in TV, film, radio, cable, satellite, video, commercials, business to business and interactive media on census day.
The census allows the industry to identify changes in the labour force over time and anticipate areas of growth and decline, so that investment in training can be targeted to keep the industry competitive. It gives the definitive picture of the number of people working across the industry from animators to web-designers, autocue operators to vision mixers, art directors to video editors, and producers to wardrobe designers.
Clive Jones, Chair of Skillset, Joint Managing Director of ITV and Chief Executive of Carlton Channels, said: “The annual industry census was a product of the Audio Visual Industries Training Group who made it clear that skills issues could only be addressed if accurate and timely labour market information was available. I’d like to thank the industry for its support of the census over the last three years and urge every company to ensure that the census form is completed and returned when it lands on desks this year.”
Dinah Caine, Chief Executive of Skillset, said: “We are now moving to a stage with the census that will allow us to actually track changes in the industry workforce over recent years. This will allow us to develop training strategies that ensure the long-term economic growth of the industry. The census also identifies geographical spread of the industry and representation of women and ethnic minorities, which is critical if we are to develop a more diverse industry.”
The census is backed by all major employers, trades associations, unions and the government.
The census will take place on Wednesday June 26 2002. Census forms will be distributed in advance of that date to companies across the UK via trade associations, guilds, major employers, national and regional agencies and trade publications. The census aims to capture data from companies of all sizes, but not from individuals.
If you do not receive a copy of the Census form direct by 24th June, copies can be obtained from Skillset on 020 7534 5303 or by visiting the Skillset website at www.skillsetcensus.org
The Census form is available online at that address, and can be completed and returned electronically.
(GMcG)