A report, The Value of Creative Graduates, has been released by GuildHE and UKADIA with a steering group of creative specialist higher education providers, including a foreword from Professor Paul Gough, Chair UKADIA, and Principal and Vice-Chancellor at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB).
The report features a series of recommendations for the higher education sector, businesses and government to encourage the realignment of the perception of the value of creative graduates and ensure that there's equality of access and opportunity for individuals.
Lisa Mann, Executive Director of Academic Innovation at AUB, Chair of the Steering Group, and representing UKADIA, explains how the report addresses the challenges of defining creative graduates’ value and the essential next steps for higher education providers, business and industry, government and regulators to realign that perception.
“Over the last 15 years, creative education has felt under attack. Multiple government interventions have tried to de-value creative education, simply because not all creative graduate roles command high salaries.
"The creative industries are a vital sector for our economy and the health and wellbeing of our nation. Furthermore, evidence shows that creative skills are valued by employers outside the creative industries; creative and design thinking is increasingly being utilised to solve a broad range of complex real-world problems.
The report also addresses the challenge of defining the value of creative graduates.
"We set out the unique impact of creative degrees and creative pedagogy and evidence the significant contribution specialist creative institutions make to their regions, both culturally and economically," says Lisa.
“We also describe the complex nature of the creative industries work system including the fact that many creative graduates aim for self-employment, portfolio careers, freelancing, and entrepreneurial endeavours, which is, in part, why data on graduate outcomes is not representative of the true economic value of creative graduates to a range of sectors. We have, therefore, developed a series of recommendations for the higher education sector, businesses and government to encourage the realignment of the perception of the value of creative graduates and ensure there is equality of access and opportunity for individuals to develop their creative skills and choose a creative career."
Lisa explains that the incoming government has made a commitment through the Labour Party’s Creating Growth plan to support the development of creative skills and harness them to support national growth.
"We hope ‘The Value of Creative Graduates’ report is a useful resource in bringing together the evidence base for the value of creative graduates," she says. "And we look forward to working with the ministerial team in both DfE and DCMS.
"Collectively, higher education providers, employers, and policymakers need to collaborate to support the future pipeline of creative skills. Creative education has been eroded by austerity and policy change that has impacted access and participation, industry collaboration with education providers, and the role of culture in regional development.
"With the new Labour government, we must come together to address these issues and barriers for the better. Championing the incredible value creative graduates bring to our society, recognising the subsequent economic contribution of the creative industries and ensuring we collectively commit to improving diversity in the sector, will be the first steps to a fairer and more dynamic creative skills system."
