North by South West: the Gloucestershire & Wiltshire Skillset Media Academy aims to deliver the right people, with the right skills for the right jobs in the media/creative industries in the region.
We develop skills through our undergraduate and postgraduate courses, and through tailored courses, delivered by current practitioners, in order to build capacity in the creative industries in the region. All members of the partnership are well connected with each other and, through formal and informal networks, with local, regional and national media.
North by Southwest works closely with the government to respond to policies that inform the sector, both in the provision of integrated media education and in shaping the future of the creative economy.
The partnership uses its track record in providing flexible learner-centred and employer-endorsed opportunities to acquire formal qualifications, industry training, knowledge and skills.
The University of Gloucestershire and its partners Gloucestershire, Cirencester and Wiltshire Colleges work alongside the Gloucestershire Media Group to provide professional courses and business start up opportunities for those starting out in the media industry as well as those wanting to refresh and update their skills.
The aim is to respond to the regional context, encouraging participation in media practice across a region that includes social and/or economic exclusion and pockets of urban and rural isolation.
The Skillset model is based on accessibility, flexibility, adaptability, integration and responsiveness to address the needs of a fast-paced, digitally-enhanced industry.
It is anchored by the Skillset Academy Networks and a corresponding system of degree and course accreditation to benchmark standards of excellence.
We live in a world where new technologies are radically changing the way we live, and nowhere is this more apparent than in media and communications.
In this new world, the UK is up against fierce international competition.
The focus can no longer be about 'Education', on the one hand, and 'Industry-led demand for Skills' on the other - the infrastructure for a more holistic approach is needed and the Skillset Academy Network model is delivering that vision.