The Government must do more to support the data-driven marketing industry by overhauling the education system so that the next generation of employees are given the right skills to allow the UK sector to retain its position as a world leader.
That was the rallying cry of DMA Talent managing director Kate Burnett who has been giving evidence to the House of Lords Communications Committee this week, as part of the Government’s ongoing inquiry into the advertising industry.
The Committee’s aim is to examine the future of the UK ad sector, and to investigate how particular policies and practices might help to maintain its position in the global market.
Burnett said: “In the UK, we need to retain talent in what is now a global industry in order to remain a leader in the creative industries. But we have to invest in young people in this country as well. We must do both. There has to be a way we can integrate the skills we need into the syllabuses of our schools and universities.”
Burnett discussed how a great deal more could be done to improve the current system of education and training for the creative industries. She also highlighted a lack of industry experience and awareness in some universities, which can mean course tutors are not aware of the latest developments and that students are not aware of potential careers in the marketing sector.
“Careers in marketing encompass a range of different roles from data science, customer service, data analytics, copywriters or artists. This range of jobs is a source of strength for the creative industries in the UK.”
DMA Talent will be working with the Careers & Enterprise Company – a government initiative that aims to provide a one-stop shop for employers, schools, colleges, funders and providers – to provide high impact careers and enterprise support to young people across England.
Together they aim to develop a sector approach to careers in schools, further and higher education that develops experience and understanding of the workplace open to young talent in the creative industries.
Burnett went on to call for further research into the future skills required across the marketing and advertising sector, to provide evidence for what changes could be made to curriculums or gaps that need to be filled.
She also urged the Committee and Government to support and help expand current programmes to encourage talent in the UK’s data-driven creative industries, in particular, such as the Creative Data Academy that DMA Talent is expanding across the UK.
In addition, Burnett believes the industry should be more involved in influencing the curriculum at both universities and even schools, to ensure the data and analytics talent needed is coming through.
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