The investment will match talent to opportunity for the Creative and Digital Media community as well as across aerospace and engineering industries, in a scheme to be known as TARDIS (Talent Attraction, Retention and Development In the South West). Launching in August, the project is a specialist sector based redeployment service. It will increase the chances of highly skilled and talented creative people, who may be at risk of redundancy, finding alternative work or training. At the same time it will help to retain their skills and reduce the possibility of the region losing these key individuals.

The TARDIS scheme fills a gap in the market, providing a tailored service, for those specific industries that are of great economic importance to the South West. Approximately £76m is lost to the South West economy every year due to hard-to-fill vacancies and it is hoped the new initiative will help curb this trend.

Mike Bennett, CEO, Bristol Media explains:

“The key aim of the TARDIS project is to pool talent in order to redeploy and retain skills and jobs across our region’s key economic sectors, of which the creative and digital industry is one."

He continued:

Bristol Media was appointed to this role following the recession support work the network organised for the creative industries between October 2008 and March 2009. The network is in a key position to understand the challenges and threats to the creative industries in the region during this recession, and has already set foundations in place to secure staffing and job security across the city and wider region.

The Creative and Digital Media industry (independent production, design and digital agencies and freelancers) has been selected as one of just two industries to benefit from the scheme in its pilot stages. The TARDIS scheme will be delivered through South West RDA supported Bristol Media and there will be three principal elements of activity:

1. The identification of opportunities for talented individuals within the creative sector e.g. Jobs, business start up, teaching for those with appropriate experience, skills and qualifications and, research;

1. Redeployment and signposting services for individuals at risk of redundancy and,

1. A web based system designed to provide a sector focused “rapid match” service between organisations with skills shortages and those with talent surpluses.

Suzanne Bond, the South West RDA’s Executive Director, People and Skills, said: “This is a win-win-win situation for: the creative/digital industries; for the South West; and for highly skilled people across the region. The scheme will minimise the risk of experts being lost from the industries and from the region."

“It will also help talented people who are at risk of redundancy, matching them to the opportunities that are available. This is exactly what the economy needs to deal with the recession and to take full advantage of the recovery once it comes.”

Paul Appleby, Chairman of Bristol Media said: “Bristol Media CIC is delighted to be the key industry partner for the Creative Industries element of the South West RDA’s Talent Retention Programme. Not only does it provide top-level backing for one of the key strategic aims of Bristol Media, it also recognizes the importance of the creative industries in the business mix of both Bristol and the whole South West.

“It’s an exciting challenge, and comes as Bristol Media is aiming to increase its offer to the creative industry community, and formalise its position through a membership scheme. Projects like this provide us with the sustainability we need to grow, and thus provide the connections and ideas that stimulate the community.