Rinova has launched a new Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership – PC4A – to promote quality and effective apprenticeships in the Creative and Cultural Industries (CCIs).

P4CA brings togetheran experienced partnership comprising Rinova Ltd (lead); Arteria, Poland; Regional Development Agency Senek Pezinok (Slovakia); Cultural Industry Creative Cluster Pecs (Hungary); Materahub (Italy); and Press to Exit (North Macedonia).

New creative technology and working patterns make the CCIs attractive to young people. However, there are significant, persistent barriers. Entry routes are often through personal networks or unpaid internships which tend to exclude young people from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds. The CCIs also comprise an exceptionally large proportion of small and micro-businesses (up to 95% in some countries). Such businesses lack capacity or resources to take on apprenticeships, whilst training institutions often do not understand the career opportunities offered by this new and dynamic sector.

Can new solutions be found to these intractable challenges? At a time when the UK is withdrawing from the EU, P4CA will continue to look outwards to draw upon innovative models of apprenticeships in different European countries. Rinova has long recognised that creative and personal development can provide young people with a rewarding pathway out of disadvantage. The CCIs have now been identified by the European parliament as playing a key role as a driver for growth, contributing more than any other sector to youth employment and have proved to be most resilient during the post 2008 economic crisis.

PC4A will build upon a previous cross-sectoral project, European Partnership for Apprenticeships (EP4A) which aimed to promote apprenticeships to SMEs, and apply what was learnt in EP4A specifically to the creative and cultural industries. The project aligns with Rinova’s ongoing work in the CCI sector with partners at a European level, which includes projects supporting professional development around work-based learning (see Learn 2 Create) and around young people’s transferable skills (see Creative Soft Skills).

Below:  The PC4A partners at the kick off meeting in London held on the 26 and 27th November 2019.

It will also provide professional development resources for apprenticeship coaches and in-company trainers in the sector aligned with the European Framework for Quality and Effective Apprenticeships. P4CA will also utlise the Collective Learning Open Curriculum Kit (‘Clock Your Skills’) a ground-breaking transnational European approach to the accreditation of competences acquired at work. This framework arose from over 10 years research and development in the area of informal and non-formal learning involving Rinova, Collage Arts and our many European partners, and is supported by a European network of peer-to-peer mentors and sector experts.

If you would like to find out more ahout PC4A contact Trevor Burgess at t.burgess@rinova.co.uk .  The project has also launched a website, where you can keep track of developments here.

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