The Government has recently formed a Creative Industries Council (CIC) to instigate industry-led approaches to boosting the growth and competitiveness of the Creative Industries. The CIC is jointly chaired by the Secretaries of State for Business - Vince Cable, and Culture, Media and Sport - Jeremy Hunt and will look at three area which are essential for growth:

• Skills
• Access to finance
• Routes to scale’ (infrastructure, exports innovation and intellectual property)

Skillset has been asked to lead the work on skills and has set up a Skills Group which brings together representatives from the whole spectrum of the creative industries.

This group is chaired by our CEO, Dinah Caine.

Skillset is now calling on the UK Creative Industries to voice their opinions via an online consultation on a number of issues - ranging from school-based education and access issues right through to the importance of management and leadership skills and Labour Market Information.

The consultation will run until 23 September, 2011. To take part, please visit http://cicskills.skillset.org/big-questions.