Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure UK workers have the necessary skills to work in the UK music sector.

This Government understands the importance of ensuring that workers in the music sector have the necessary skills, demonstrated through its commitment to music education. It was made clear in December 2018 that the existing National Plan for Music Education, originally co-published by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Education (DfE), would be refreshed. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the refresh of the National Plan is currently on hold, but the Government remains committed to publishing a refresh in due course, to support the next generation of music sector workers.

DCMS is also working closely with the music sector, including UK Music, to put in place programmes to aid music education and skills development. The Music Academic Partnership (MAP), which involves UK educational institutions and UK Music members, sees industry working with academics and educators to give colleges and university students a better chance of finding a job in the music industry. UK Music is also part of the Creative Industries Advisory Group which is working with DfE on developing reforms to the apprenticeship levy.