A practical handbook for employers and small businesses to support fairer work in Scotland’s creative and cultural industries
This guide was commissioned by Creative Scotland and has been written by Creative & Cultural Skills (CCSkills). CCSkills work across the four nations of the UK to create an inclusive and skilled cultural sector by shaping skills, education and employment best practice. You can explore the CCSkills’ Fair Access Sector Support resources and guidance sessions at ccskills.org.uk.
It contains a basic introduction to the different types of work and working roles which can be created by an employer, as well as how they should be appropriately deployed.
As well as setting out each of the main routes into the workforce, and what those positions can be expected to do, it also defines the differences between a worker, employee and those who are self-employed.
We know that the use of unpaid work in the sector remains a challenge today – creating a barrier to entry to those who don’t have connections or who can’t afford to support themselves when not being paid. However, there are times when it may be appropriate to offer unpaid opportunities – and this guide will outline the main considerations for employers when looking to offer work experience to school aged young people, or industry placements for those in further and higher education. The guide also gives an overview of volunteers and voluntary workers, including some fair practice advice when working with volunteers.
Following on from this, the guide moves on to set out some handy hints around recruitment processes, to help encourage organisations to think about their current approaches to recruitment and whether these could be adapted to change how, and who, is recruited.
This guidance aims to support organisations to identify the right opportunity to offer and give advice to help improve recruitment processes. Overall, this guide is intended to help organisations consider how they can create opportunities which open up the sector and lead to a fairer and more diverse workforce.