Laut einer aktuellen Untersuchung von Skillset gibt es eine gefährliche Kompetenzlücke in der britischen Verlagsbranche bezüglich der digitalen Medien und der durch sie verursachten Umbrüche:

► Profile of the Publishing Sector (PDF)

In der Untersuchung wird die derzeitige Ausgangssituation für Verlage wie folgt beschrieben:

The widespread availability of handheld e-book readers and the development of applications for reading content on the iPhone have provided the driver for digitising new and old titles. Understanding how a knowledge economy can work for books, where content is universally stored and traded – right down to an image or a phrase – is a key challenge for the industry to address. The impact these factors will have on copyright infringement, piracy, content storage, the supply chain and managing intellectual property is at the heart of how businesses will approach the future. The increase in non-traditional competitors – such as Google – with a different approach and more resources is a real threat to the industry. Understanding the customer and how to reach them more effectively is the key to survival. Customer groups are actively being developed through social networking tools. While many publishers have been providing digital content and services for several years, there is a belief that there will continue to be a market for the printed product.

Die Herausforderungen liegen insbesondere im Schließen der Kompetenzlücken, so die Autoren der Untersuchung weiter:

Publishing has undergone radical change due to the impact of digital technology on consumers and their reading preferences. Customers now demand quality content in many different media. This has led to a change in workflow processes, rights management, supply chain and distribution, marketing and sales, production and some aspects of editorial. However, the core ‘craft’, ‘creative’ or ‘technical’ skills remain as important as ever in generating good content, for example, good writing or design skills, but now applied to digital and online products.
The pace of change and impact of digital technology has also exposed existing skill gaps. Many have not been addressed for some time and are now critical. Understanding how to use these skills to harness the opportunities that multi-media and multi-platform content can bring – both in the UK and internationally – is critical to commercial success.

Eine lesenswerter Artikel zu der Untersuchung von Skillset findet sich bei Bookseller.com:

► Digital skills gap now ‘critical’ for publishers

Suzanne Ashley, Skillset publishing sector manager, said the report had revealed specific problem areas within training and recruitment. She said: “There are those who know the business really well—often those who are more experienced, middle-management types—who are very uncomfortable with the wholly changing digital landscape.” (…) Ashley explained: “There are ­people who are literate, articulate, creative, and also have good technical abilities, but [the publishing industry] is not getting them . . . Salaries do play a part, as does the reliance on relaxed recruitment practices and unpaid work experience.”

Vieles dürfte wohl auch auf die hiesige Branche übertragbar sein …

via: Bewegliche Lettern