Following the Berlin Process Culture Ministers’ Meeting in Kotor in May 2025, the British Council, with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), launched the Western Balkans Creative Skills Research. The initiative responds to a growing need to address skills gaps in the region’s creative digital industries and to better connect education, training and employment opportunities.
Focused on visual effects (VFX), animation and gaming, the research explores how skills systems currently function across all six Western Balkans economies and where stronger alignment is needed between education providers, industry and policy. It is grounded in evidence gathered from employers and key stakeholders across the region, offering a clearer picture of both the challenges facing the sector and the opportunities for future growth.
Delivered through a coordinated regional approach, the study combines UK expertise with local knowledge. The research was led by Iain Bennett, a creative industries consultant with more than 30 years’ senior leadership experience across the public and private sectors and founder of The Fifth Sector, who has been working with the British Council in the Western Balkans since late 2024 on creative economy development and regional skills recommendations. He was supported on methodology by Lynne McCadden, a former BBC broadcast journalist with more than 20 years’ experience in creative and cultural skills strategy, evaluation and programme delivery, particularly in assessing skills needs and strengthening pathways into employment across the creative sectors.
Working with consultants in each Western Balkans economy, the team ensured robust data collection, stakeholder engagement and a comparative understanding of regional trends. This approach has helped create a strong evidence base for practical recommendations that reflect both national contexts and shared regional priorities.
The findings point to a persistent mismatch between education and labour market needs, limited access to practical, production-based training, and weak collaboration between education institutions and industry. At the same time, they highlight a strong and underused talent base, as well as the potential for the Western Balkans to strengthen its position as a hub for creative digital production.
The research will help inform the next phase of work on youth employability in the creative economy, including the development of stronger skills pathways, closer education–industry partnerships and targeted approaches to training and innovation. Its findings are being shared with ministries, education institutions, industry representatives and other stakeholders across the region to support the translation of evidence into action.
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