A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Enhancing academic and Practice

The visual arts
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of an artist or designer (point 11 above). There is an increasing focus now not only on skills
for employability, but on entrepreneurial skills (see Chapter 8). In practice, there is no
clear division between skills for employability and skills for entrepreneurship. Being an
entrepreneur does not necessarily mean prioritising financial success over other goals
and it is possible to be an ethical entrepreneur. The skills of entrepreneurship are as
relevant to someone in employment as they are to someone who runs their own business.
Students in creative arts subjects need to be enterprising to maximise their abilities and
create opportunities for employment.
There is no definitive list of the skills which increase employability, or the ability to run
a business, but skills which are frequently cited in this context include:
• adaptability;
• being proactive;
• communication skills;
• confidence;
• emotional intelligence;
• financial acumen;
• flexibility;
• networking;
• opportunism;
• problem-solving;
• project management;
• resourcefulness;
• self-efficacy;
• self-management;
• self-sufficiency;
• team working abilities;
• vision.
Although the practical and experiential learning (see Chapter 2) provided by a visual
arts education offers plentiful opportunities for these skills to be developed, students
will need to be reminded that they are acquiring them while they undertake other
learning opportunities. Often these skills are tacitly acquired, and it is helpful to
emphasise exactly what engagement in practice requires and what has been learned.
Maximising the learning opportunities has to be engineered through curriculum
planning. Personal Development Planning (PDP) is the sector-wide process for
this. PDP is a structured and supported process through which individuals reflect
upon their learning, experiences and performance and plan for the future. It is situated
in social, personal, academic and work-related domains and encompasses the whole
person, acknowledging the individuality of learners. It should be student owned and
student led.