Culture minister pledges 1 million new jobs for UK creative industries

The UK creative industries will get a 1 million job boost adding £50 billion in value to the sector by 2030, according to the culture minister.

Outlining the government’s plans in London today, UK culture secretary Lucy Frazer will detail the government’s investment blueprint, which is expected to focus on expanding “clusters” of specialist companies in different parts of the UK in sectors such as gaming and film, and on developing skilled workers.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has already earmarked the creative industries as one of the “pillars of the economy” that he will continue to prioritise. Others include technology, green industries, life sciences and advanced manufacturing.

Frazer will tell the Deloitte and Enders media and telecoms conference this morning that the government “can do more tangible things to support our creatives” but also warned of the threat of increasing global competition. “We cannot afford to be complacent,” she is expected to say.

Sjuul van der Leeuw, CEO of Deployteq, commented: “The creative industries are at a really exciting stage with technological innovation revolutionising areas such as marketing and creative production, so it’s fantastic to see the UK’s commitment to supporting this growth.”

“Creating one million jobs to work hand in hand with emerging technologies in the creative industries can turbocharge the sector’s growth, adding significant value for businesses and the wider economy. Onboarding and training highly skilled staff adds a new dimension to businesses’ creative offerings as well as their capacity to develop and implement automation-enabled technologies to boost the efficiency of critical processes and reach new audiences through means such as email marketing” he added.

Additionally, it is understood that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is developing the plan for growth of the sector across the UK. Frazer will say that the government will support skills, ranging from music and extracurricular activities for primary school children to boot camps and apprenticeships for those seeking jobs or returning to the workforce.

Joanna Reynolds, Managing Director of global marketing Saas agency, Bordeaux and Burgundy discusses the importance of continued investment in these industries and championing the widening of talent pools as an important factor for SME and scaleup growth. Joanna says: "Sustained investment in the creative industries is an important aspect of growing the UK economy, from scaling up SMEs and Scale-up organisations to supporting the tech sector’s innovation push. Investment in this area is crucial as it not only fosters growth but also positions the UK as an attractive destination for emerging and innovative tech firms, propelling the nation’s advancement in this dynamic sector.”

“Emphasising regional growth across the country with up-and-coming creative hubs and widespread job creation to increase employment in the sector by a third can unlock huge growth for businesses across the country. A national strategy to widen the talent pool of creatives and entrepreneurs will play a key role in supporting scale-ups in their rapid growth aims, removing geographical barriers and increasing access to skilled staff.”