A sector-wide audit of the skills needs of the UK's creative industries, delivered for DCMS and the Creative Industries Council as a flagship commitment of the Creative Industries Sector Plan.
The Creative Industries Council and DCMS commissioned Work Advance, working alongside the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre, to deliver a major new skills audit of the UK's creative industries. A flagship commitment in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, it is the most comprehensive evidence base yet on the skills needs of one of the Industrial Strategy's priority sectors.
We combined analysis of official labour market information with a bespoke employer survey across eleven creative sub-sectors, from advertising and design to music, screen, video games, architecture and publishing. This produced a sector-wide summary report and eleven detailed sub-sector reports.
Creative employers are ambitious, with nearly half looking to grow their workforce, but an outdated skills system is holding them back. 43% report skills shortages or gaps, nearly 40% cannot afford staff training, and shortages hit hardest at mid-career. Gaps range from 3D modelling and UX design to data analysis and cyber security, alongside finance and people management skills.
Recommendations for government, employers and educators include place-based skills assessments, a new "Pact for Skills", Technical Excellence Networks for AI and green design, and targeted support for freelancers. The audits have informed Skills England's Skills Assessments and the sector's Jobs Plan.
Creative Industries Skills Audits 2026
DCMS and the Creative Industries Council, 2026
Heather Carey, Work Advance
Bernard Hay, Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (Newcastle University)
Revisiting job quality in creative work, three years on from the Good Work Review