Will the Minister provide an update on what action the Welsh Government is taking to tackle workforce challenges in the creative industries?
The Welsh Government is using the policy levers and influence it has to tackle workforce challenges in the creative industries, recognising that employment law and industrial relations are not devolved and the UK Government has important reserved powers to improve workers rights’, raise legally enforceable standards, and strengthen the rights of freelancers.
This includes activity taken forward by Creative Wales to develop actions in response to recommendation set out in the Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) Good Work report, building on the success of the Well-being Facilitators project and the role of economic contracts in production funding. We have also engaged with the UK-wide Creative Industries Independent Standards Agency to better understand its role and how its functions might meet the needs of the creative industries in Wales.
Our three-year Creative Skills Action Plan is focused on supporting the current and future creative industries workforce in Wales and ensuring it is equipped with the necessary skills for the sector to thrive. The Creative Skills Fund supports 17 projects which are directly delivering against the 10 industry-identified priorities in the action plan.