Last week the Creative Futures ReportSouth Australia produced by Service Skills SA was published. It looked at the current
labour and industry trends for the creative industries in South Australia.
Key messages from the Report:
The creative industries are a significant employer with
capacity for further growth.
..the industry requires support to develop critical
entrepreneurial skills and increase the capability of the workforce.
…a ‘skills set’ covering strategic business, marketing,
financial and use of new technologies
The Reports focus on training and skills is to be expected
due to the report producer being Service Skills SA and with input from the
Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology.
An interesting comment regards respondents wanting to gain
skills in marketing, social media, arts and business management as part of
their creative arts degree. This is something that I have argued for, along with
many of my peers in the visual arts degree. There is a concern that creative
arts degrees do not adequately prepare students to articulate the skills they
have gained through their degree to an employer. Perhaps the problem is not so
much with the degree but in the ability to feel confident to “sell” our skills
and knowledge. In a case of being our own worst enemy there can be a tendency
to use the line “it’s only a visual arts degree” to peers, family and friends.
Teaching professional skills as part of a creative arts
degree is important. However, there is a tendency that graduates from these degree
areas should have a ‘portfolio career’ or be ‘entrepreneurial’.
The Report suggests a ‘Creative Entrepreneurial’ Skill Set
should consist of the following components:
·
Business Development
·
Marketing
·
Finance and Taxation
·
Project and Self-Management
·
Digital Literacy
Is it the responsibility of the university to ensure that
their graduates are equipped with not only their knowledge of painting, acting,
drawing, design etc. but also to be a master of all trades? Should business and
marketing become a core topic of any creative industries course?
It would be great to see employers take on more
responsibility for the training and professional development of their staff. Instead
of expecting graduates and new employees to have their degree, plus business
knowledge, plus marketing knowledge, plus digital literacy employers should
look at how they can access the already existing Skills For All courses to
deliver a structured career and training progression for creative industries workers.
