Skillset backs government training review

Leading business voices in the UK games industry have backed a Government report which concluded that training and skills needs for future growth should be implemented by the industry itself.

The Leitch Review, commissioned by Gordon Brown to investigate the changes necessary to meet the skills challenges of the UK economy in 2020, has concluded that industry should be the driving force behind devising and implementing solutions to skills and education problems via its Sector Skills Council.

Skillset, the Sector Skills Council for the audio visual industries in the UK, is an independent organisation which works with the industry to address skills and training needs within the workforce, and includes senior execs from Eidos and Illumina Digital among its members.

"Sector Skills Councils help industry to cut through the complexity and bureaucracy of the training and education system and the funding bodies related to it," said Ian Livingstone, product acquisitions director for Eidos

"Skillset has done this for the computer games sector through our Sector Skills Agreement — Creating the Future, but to implement that agreement to full effect the Government needs to follow through on the recommendations we've heard from the Leitch Review today," he added.

"Today's backing for Skillset and for the central role industry has to play in setting the skills agenda is a very welcome development," said Andrew Chitty, managing director of Illumina Digital.

"The Leitch Review has endorsed the sector-based approach and I hope this signals a renewed commitment to SSCs from the government with the support and resources we need to get the job done," commented Chitty.