Home > News > February 2007 > 14 February 2007

University and business partnerships 'key to world class creative economy'

British universities can do for the UK's creative economy what America's leading colleges have done for the US technology sector, according to the chief executive of Creative & Cultural Skills.

Speaking at the Guardian Higher Education Summit, Tom Bewick urged universities to strengthen their links with creative businesses and assist in the development of enterprise clusters with high levels of specialised entrepreneurial skills.

"Gone are the days when only seven per cent of the population went to university - the time when Tony Blair was at college. Now it is 47 per cent and rising, which puts a whole new load of pressures on both HE and industry. Our research shows that there are over 260,000 students on courses related to the creative and cultural industries; yet at any one time, there are only 6,000 job vacancies.

"Competition for careers in our incredibly dynamic and exciting sectors is going to get even more competitive than it already is. Meanwhile, HE institutions are looking to charge more and more fees for certain courses, presumably on the better promise that this will equip people with the right skills.

"Our employers and cultural organisations want strong partnerships with HE - we're one of the most graduate rich sectors in the UK. But they are also concerned that people are graduating without a range of aptitudes and skills that should equip them for rewarding careers. Through the work that is currently underway with the development of our Creative Blueprint (Sector Skills Agreement), we're examining over 350 foundation degrees to make sure they are fit for purpose.

"We also want to challenge the notion that graduate entry is the only way to get in and move on in the creative and cultural industries. That's why we are putting so much effort into the development of a new industry-wide Creative Apprenticeship programme, with up to 3000 places funded from next year. Our ambition would be for these apprenticeships to count towards UCAS points should young people then decide to progress to higher education.

"We are also working on improving the business impact of cultural creativity and diversity in our industries through the Cultural Leadership Programme. In partnership with the Arts Council England and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, we're developing training, mentoring and networking opportunities for leaders at different stages of their career.

"We have also partnered with Welsh Music Foundation and North East Wales Institute of Higher Education to deliver accredited music business management training for working music industry professionals. With funding from the Welsh Assembly Government, it's enabling the music scene in Wales to capitalise more fully on its enormous creative success.

"In the performing arts, we're working on a project called 'Recharge' - a partnership with Equity and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Actors are coming back to college to broaden their professional skills and improve their employability. Again, it's an example of using the resources and expertise of HE to deliver direct benefits to the sector.

"My vision for Higher Education in 2020 - a time when Lord Leitch is saying we will need an additional 250,000 people with higher level skills - is that the rather false distinctions drawn between academic and more applied learning have been completely broken down. That's after all the experience of university clusters and companies in Silicon Valley. Surely the time has come for HE and industry in this country to invest heavily in creating a network of creative clusters, particularly where the sole trader and micro business can come to together and grow.

"Look at the role played by elite US universities in developing technology success stories such as Google and Sun Microsystems. Similarly, HE in this country can do much to foster the transition of creative enterprises from small businesses into major brands and significant employers of people. The alternative is to risk losing our position as a leading creative economy as skilled jobs drift away to the emerging economies of Asia and Eastern Europe."

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