Creative Industries: Qualifications

Baroness Kingsmill Excerpts

Thursday 23rd July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Kingsmill (Lab)]

My Lords, I am delighted to participate in this debate. I am by no means an expert in the field that we are debating; I know very little about creative qualifications, but I have been involved in the creative industries for most of my career. My first career, I suppose, before I became a lawyer, was in the fashion industry, where I spent seven years working with designers, photographers and all sorts of other creative people. I declare an interest in that I am currently back in the fashion industry, and have been for the last 10 years, as a director at Inditex—otherwise known as Zara. Furthermore, I declare an interest in this specific area as a trustee of the Conran Foundation. I have also been a board member at the Design Museum for many years.

The United Kingdom has for a very long time enjoyed the reputation of being one of the greatest creative economies in the world, yet we too often discuss it as though it were simply a matter of cultural interest, rather than a strategic national asset. The facts tell a different story. Our creative industries now contribute almost £126 billion to the economy, support around 2.4 million jobs and generate a substantial trade surplus through exports of services, intellectual property and digital content. They are growing significantly faster than the economy as a whole and are rightly recognised by the Government as one of the United Kingdom’s priority growth sectors.

These industries are also a powerful source of Britain’s soft power. Around the world, people know this country through our music, theatre, film, television, architecture—which has not yet been mentioned—publishing, design, fashion and, increasingly, digital creativity. They strengthen tourism, attract investment and encourage talented people to study, work and collaborate here.

That success, however, depends on one essential ingredient: people. If we wish to remain a global leader in the creative industries, we must ensure that talented young people continue to have clear and credible routes into creative careers. That is why level 3 qualifications matter so greatly. I welcome the Government’s recognition that a broader pathway is needed alongside A-levels and T-levels. The proposed introduction of V-levels represents an important acknowledgement that creative careers rarely follow a single, narrow occupational route.

But qualifications alone will not guarantee success. We must ensure that creative education continues to value practical learning. We must recognise that portfolio development, collaborative projects and interdisciplinary skills matter just as much. We must further recognise that many creative businesses are, as has been mentioned, small, project-based or freelance and must also be part of the system. It should not be that only large employers should be considered.

Above all, we have to avoid an unintended contradiction in public policy. If the Government identify the creative industries as a priority growth sector within their industrial strategy, the education system must actively support the pipeline of talent on which that strategy depends. Creative education should therefore be seen not as a cost but as an investment in one of Britain’s strongest competitive advantages. Investment in studios, specialist teachers, technical facilities and high-quality vocational pathways should be regarded in precisely the same light as investment in scientific research, advanced manufacturing or digital infrastructure. Our competitors certainly understand that. If Britain wishes to remain a world leader in creativity and innovation, we cannot simply celebrate past success; we must continually renew the talent that sustains it.

I therefore hope that Ministers will continue to ensure that qualification reform, industrial strategy and regional growth policy move forward together. What mechanisms are in place to ensure that the Department for Education and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport jointly assess whether level 3 qualification reforms are strengthening, rather than weakening, the future workforce of one of the United Kingdom’s designated priority growth areas?