Creating Prosperity: the role of higher education in ... - Universities UK

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Creating Prosperity: the role of higher educationin driving the UK’s creative economy50Proposition 6.Higher education can be an important provider of CPD for the creative industries.• CPD is a growing opportunity for higher education, and is a common feature of many knowledgeexchange initiatives in the creative economy.• While creative professionals want and expect to be involved in lifelong learning, industry demandfor CPD is less well articulated and costs can be a barrier.• There is evidence to suggest that academic qualifications are appealing to individuals and theiremployers, indicating an important role for higher education.4.124 If there is a need for greater focus on employability and entrepreneurship skills within undergraduateteaching provision, there is also a need for ongoing CPD support to industry. According to NESTA,creative businesses report a poor record on CPD, and yet there is an accepted requirement forimproved business, management and leadership skills.4.125 Again, this is an area in which higher education has an important role to play. The evaluation of HEFCEthird-stream funding found that CPD, along with consultancy and contract research, was the mostcommon form of industry interaction across English universities, and was particularly importantwithin creative arts and design institutions (PACEC, 2010). However, there is a paucity of researchinto the ways in which CPD is delivered and the effectiveness of current provision.4.126 Although now less current, HEFCE, in partnership with Arts Council England and the DesignCouncil, commissioned a study into higher education’s provision of CPD for the creative industries.The study, published in 2001, found at that time a considerable range and volume of CPD provisionfor arts and design within higher education, as well as growing demand, particularly as the pace ofindustry change accelerates (HEFCE, 2001). There was also evidence that higher education enjoyeda strong brand and reputation in CPD provision, based on:• academic quality, quality control and validation• advanced pedagogy• good understanding of the realities of professional life in the creative sectors• access to resources and new ways of thinking about professional practice4.127 This suggests both that higher education was in 2001 already playing an important role in providingCPD to the creative industries and that there is further potential to expand this work. In theabsence of any equivalent report since, the scale of the growth in provision is unknown, though it hascertainly taken place. What is perhaps less clear are the ways in which this is delivered, across whichdisciplines and how provision is currently received by industry.4.0 Higher education’s contribution
Creating Prosperity: the role of higher educationin driving the UK’s creative economy514.128 CPD for industry is an important element of the Skillset Media Academies. As noted earlier,these have typically sought to develop accessible and affordable short-form modules for industrypractitioners. The credit-bearing framework has proved attractive to employers and individuals alike,and has helped to generate revenue streams for the institutions.4.129 Skillset reported that their experience of the Media Academies was that the opportunity to buildup a series of short modules to achieve a university qualification appealed both to individuals andtheir employers.4.130 Many of those involved in the development and delivery of these courses also commented on the needfor flexibility when working with creative businesses, and identified a range of important benefitsas follows:• students: appropriate skills development• industry: ability to influence course development and practical benefits through placementsand live briefs• universities: valuable industry input to course development and research activity, andenhanced reputation• creative economy: better skilled and more industry-ready graduate population4.131 At Bournemouth University a targeted programme of CPD for creative industries has beendeveloped in a way that has both met the needs of employers and developed a sustainable modelfor the university.17. CASE STUDYCPD, Bournemouth UniversityBournemouth University has developed anambitious and innovative portfolio of CPDfor media professionals which aims to:• provide education, development andinnovation support for creative mediaemployees and freelancers who are eitherunemployed or at risk of redundancy, toenable them to develop new skills andunderstanding of digital media and thusbecome more competitive in the job market• provide professional, technical andbusiness knowledge and expertise tocreative media companies so that they arebetter equipped to survive the economicdownturn and have the capacity to succeedin a global market as the economy emergesfrom recessionEach short course is worth 20 Masterslevelcredits and is delivered by experiencedacademics and practitioners to ensureits relevance.The short courses have attracted a smallnumber of Additional Student Numbers fromHEFCE, the equivalent of 75 people doing one20-credit unit. The activities are, however,primarily funded through student fees (£800per short course) and through co-fundedarrangements whereby employers supportand contribute to provision.Media companies, who have traditionally seenuniversities as the place to recruit junior staff,are now working with the University to providestaff development for their most senior staff.This CPD work has resulted in the BBC andthe Guardian offering credit-bearing provisionfor the first time. The University is also inadvanced discussions with a major gamesdeveloper and television and film productionbody to establish similar provision.At a time when the unit of resource providedby HEFCE to support teaching and learningis being decreased, this activity is generatingvaluable fully economically-costed income.4.0 Higher education’s contribution
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Creating Prosperity: the role of higher education in ... - Universities UK

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