Blog piece provided by Lee Hornsby, Partnership and Skills Manager. Creative Industries Federation.
Creative England and the Creative Industries Federation joined forces in 2020 and are now a part of the Creative UK group. With this new union came a revisitation of our Education and Skills offer. Amid this exciting news it became clear that students would need to become a larger focus within this new community.
Our mission as the Creative Industries Federation is to showcase, support and represent the innovative and talented nature of creative industries. Students are integral to the industry’s talent pipeline as these young people are a pool of potential candidates who are qualified and prepared to move the industry forward.
In a 2019 report produced by Roundhouse it was suggested that there is significant need to educate “young people with the focus on the development and coexistence in culture, since they will comprise the creative class in the future.” Suggesting young people aged 18-25 are largely leaders in the creative industries as well as one the largest culture consuming groups. Despite the importance of students in relation to the creative industries there are several barriers which can hinder access to the industry particularly for black and minority ethnic young people, those from low-income households and individuals living outside of London.
According to Prospect’s recent 2020 Graduate report only one third of creative arts graduates were actually working in arts, design and media professions. Prior to COVID the UK’s creative sector was growing at five times the rate of the wider economy and employing over two million people. However, the pandemic has negatively impacted the industry and therefore the talent pipeline is likely to be similarly impacted.
It is clear that many aspiring creatives and artistic students may need further support to navigate the labour market and their ever-changing university experiences. In response to these core concerns the Federation has revamped our Education & Skills membership to include free student membership for all students enrolled at current member institutions. These students will gain access to a specialised Student Platform which houses some of the industry’s best resources. Our platform offers useful tips, resources, industry insights and opportunities to get a head start in the creative community and their early careers.
The platform has been designed to help support a wide range of young people including those interested in freelancing but unsure of where to begin, extending to those interested in permanent positions within an organisation. As the Federation we are uniquely positioned to hone in and bring the creative industries to life for young people. We are tapped into every segment of the creative sector, whilst being acutely aware of the core barriers for the average creative student and therefore best suited to help bolster and supplement the careers advice and guidance services universities currently offer.
And this is only the beginning; we plan to expand the functionality of our portal across the course of the coming year, grow a cross-university community of creative students, produce student-centred content and spark meaningful conversations as a way of helping the creative sector and aspiring young creatives through events.
Student membership is completely free for all students enrolled at our university members.
To find out more visit creativeindustriesfederation.com or email lee@creativeindustriesfederation.com.