Arts: Apprentices

Mr. Hunt
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many individuals were given creative apprenticeships in each of the last three years.

Margaret Hodge
[holding answer 15 November 2007]: Creative and Cultural Skills (CCS) is the Sector Skills Council for advertising, craft, cultural heritage, design, music and the literary, visual and performing arts. It has developed the first ever industry-backed, Government approved apprenticeships for the sector.

53 placements have already been made as a pilot under this scheme since January 2007 and this is likely to rise to 60 from January next year. This scheme for Creative Apprenticeships will be rolled out nationally from September 2008.