UNPAID internships are preventing many young people in Northern Ireland from realising their dream of a career in the creative industries.
That was the message from the Northern Ireland Creative & Cultural Skills Awards.
Speaking at the awards nations director of Creative and Cultural Skills, Sara Graham issued a call for creative organisations to take advantage of a funded opportunity to create new paid jobs in the sector.
She said: “The creative sector is the fastest-growing part of the UK economy yet it’s harder than ever for young people to break in. Unpaid internships shut out those who cannot afford to subsidise their placements and this narrows the pool of talent. We need diversity to thrive.”
A UK-wide report, Creative Industries: Focus on Employment, commissioned by the Government in 2015 showed that 92% of those working in the creative industries came from socially-advantaged backgrounds.
Creative & Cultural Skills supports the industry in many ways including through the NI Creative Employment Programme, which provides funding to employers for internships and apprenticeships within the sector. The programme is supported by the Arts Council for NI Lottery Fund. These are paid apprenticeships and internships, challenging the culture of unpaid work and creating new entry level jobs.
Sara continued: “We know the sector is under financial pressure but through the NI Creative Employment Programme, finance is available for organisations in the creative industries to employ apprentices and interns for totally new posts. In the past year, the programme has invested £151,500 to help create 42 new jobs and there will be another three funding rounds in 2017.
The aim is to support both our growing creative economy and promote a fairer and more diverse sector.”
The NI Creative & Cultural Skills Awards celebrated three exemplary young people who have proven that, given a chance, they can succeed.
Rachael Garrett, a preventive conservation intern with the National Trust, won NI Intern of the Year. For NI Apprentice of the Year, the award was shared between Danielle Travers, a Community Arts Management apprentice with Sticky Fingers; and Emma Wilson, a business apprentice with Cahoots NI.