THE GOVERNMENT’S skills tsar said yesterday he was “bowled over” by the energy and enthusiasm Abertay University in Dundee was showing in working with the creative industries, writes Andrew Argo, education reporter.

Tom Bewick, chief executive of Creative and Cultural Industries, a new sector skills council charged by the Government with promoting skills development in the creative industries, was speaking during a day of engagements in the city.

In his fact-finding mission, he toured Abertay’s research and consultancy centres and its Embrionix graduate business incubator unit. He also visited the Dundee science centre Sensation and The Space dance, theatre and conference centre at Dundee College.

At Abertay Mr Bewick was joined by leading representatives of the region’s creative and media industries on a discussion on the importance of the sector, which supports 70,000 jobs in Scotland and generates more than £5 million annually for the national economy.

Both non-digital and digital creative industries are expected to grow by up to 20% annually, and in Tayside around 200 companies support about 10,000 jobs, contributing up to £100 million to the local economy. Employment in the sector locally now exceeds the combined total of manufacturing (6000 jobs) and bioscience (1000 jobs).

Mr Bewick said after visiting Abertay, “I have been bowled over by the energy and enthusiasm here in the institution for this sector and in the activity going on. I have been impressed by the way the university has been the catalyst for a whole range of partnerships with businesses in the community. I think Abertay has created a good template for other places to follow, by the way it harnesses talent and works with the community.

“It is also playing an important role in helping the creative industries in this area to compete with the rest of the UK, and for the UK to compete with the rest of the world.”

Mr Bewick was joined by Professor Mike Thorne, vice-chancellor of East London University and formerly vice-principal of Napier University in Edinburgh. It was in the latter role that he became familiar with Abertay and the rapidly-growing creative industries sector in Tayside.

Paul Harris, professor of screen media at Abertay, said, “Tom Bewick’s visit is a great accolade for Abertay and Tayside as a whole.

“He has said his priority for CCI is to bring together all stakeholders in the creative industries sector to co-ordinate training and skills across a rapidly-growing industry.”