Paul Collard, Chief Executive of Creativity, Culture & Education comments on social mobility in the creative industries and the role that education can play

In summer 2009, Alan Milburn MP published a report entitled Unleashing Aspiration: The Final Report of the Panel on Fair Access to the Professions. The report put forward a number of recommendations to ensure that professional careers were genuinely open to as wide a pool of talent as possible. The report concluded that Britain would not prosper unless we harness the talent of all those who are able and aspire to make a contribution. In a CCE conference last week Alan Milburn concluded that the creative industries were “seminal in defining what Britain will look like in the future”.

The creative industries are increasingly vital to the UK and over the past decade the creative sector has grown at twice the rate of the economy as a whole. In order for this to continue to grow and for the UK to be competitive in a global marketplace we must put support structures in place and nurture a pool of talented people with the right skills for this emerging sector. In 2008, the DCMS launched its Creative Britain campaign to do just this. However, at Creativity, Culture & Education (CCE) we are concerned about the existing barriers to young people entering a career in these fast growing creative industries.

A new independent online survey, ‘Creative Industries’ by YouGov Plc on behalf of CCE found that whilst the vast majority of parents of children aged 19 or under are supportive of their children entering a career in the sector only around a third (34%) would be able to investigate internships or contact friends or family who work in the sector (35%) to help their children get a foot on the career ladder. Offering an insight into the difficulties parents face in helping their children break into the creative and cultural industries, the report highlights that more affluent families are able to use their connections, through contacting friends and family working in the business, or look at organising an internship whilst poorer households on the other hand were more likely to look to government schemes to help their children break into these industries.

It is clear that parents and children need more help and support to understand the opportunities for careers in the creative industries and to make sure that all families are able to access these. Whilst there are some examples of excellent practice there is much more that can be done in and out of school to give students a genuine opportunity to experience and understand the variety of careers open to them and to support interested young people no matter what their background to get a foot in the door. But making this happen needs action across the public and private sector, we need to ensure that we have the mechanisms in place to give all our young people the necessary skill-set for employment.

One key area which the government has central influence over is education and they have the power to ensure that young people are equipped to thrive in 21st Century employment – with suitable behaviours, skills and attitudes. However, the current model of education in England is an industrial one for an industrial nation. The economic climate has changed, with creative careers now leading the field and technology changing the landscape day by day. As Ken Robinson, the educationalist who led the report ‘All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education’, comments eleven years on: “We weren’t arguing for a tinkering of the system; we were arguing for long-term transformative policies…and [now] we need a new culture for the 21st Century… someone needs to take another look at creativity in education.” 

Schools must do more to develop young peoples social skills, contemporary employers require people to have the ability to question, make connections, innovate, problem solve, communicate, collaborate and reflect critically. These skills not only enrich lives but give young people the confidence and motivation to make positive change happen. We have seen from our research, internships and using contacts within the industry can be crucial but young people need to have the skills to be able to network and confidently present their ideas and work.

At present England’s flagship creative learning programme, Creative Partnerships has worked in over 5,000 schools since its launch in 2002. The programme is designed to develop the creative skills of young people across England. It does so by fostering innovative, long-term partnerships between schools and a range of creative professionals. However, creative teaching and learning practice needs to be embedded in all schools. We need to see more co-ordination and partnerships between education and industry to result in constructive work experience, mentoring opportunities and a successful careers service.

David Cameron and Gordon Brown have both lauded Britain’s creative industries and pointed to the contribution that innovation and fresh ideas will make to the development of Britain’s economy. But creativity needs to be nurtured and encouraged among young people and a dull and stifling education system will not prepare young people for the challenges of the 21st century world economy. So it’s an idea we can’t ignore and when parents, children, teachers and researchers agree, its time for Politicians to listen!