Creative Employment Programme now open for applications

The Creative Employment Programme is a £15m fund to support the creation of traineeships, formal apprenticeship and paid internship opportunities for young unemployed people aged 16-24 wishing to pursue a career in the arts and cultural sector.

Arts Council England have commissioned the National Skills Academy as a delivery partner. The programme will support up to 6,500 new apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships and paid internships (graduate and non-graduate) across the arts and cultural sector, with a focus on the Arts Council's footprint; music, dance, theatre, literature, visual arts, contemporary craft, combined arts, galleries, circus, carnival arts, museums and libraries.

The fund will provide part wage grants to employers who create new apprenticeship and internship opportunities for unemployed young people aged 16-24.

There is currently a skills shortage - more than a quarter of employers in the creative and cultural sector have had difficulty in recruiting due to a lack of experience and skills in applicants.

The programme will give young people interested in arts and culture the opportunity to gain skills and experience that potential employers will value, remove the barrier of lack of paid work experience, and help boost the start of their career in the sector.

The first application deadline is Friday 29 March 2013. Find out more about the Creative Employment Programme here.