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The Art of Getting Started: Graduate skills in a fragmented labour market

La Valle I, O’Regan S, Jackson C
Report 364, Institute for Employment Studies, January 2000

a study for The London Institute

There is a growing recognition of the need to enhance graduates’ employability for them to find suitable jobs in an increasingly diverse and competitive labour market. The ‘employability’ debate has centred on the adequacy of the skills graduates develop during their courses. There is growing consensus that it is no longer sufficient for graduates to possess traditional academic and subject specific skills. Nowadays graduates need to develop a range of interpersonal and transferable skills to be able to adapt to changing market circumstances and organisational needs.

Art and design graduates’ careers

The traditional artist’s career resembles a patchwork of short-term contracts and projects, self-employment and freelancing, work outside their profession, and low monetary rewards. Life is particularly hard for newcomers. Eighteen months after graduating from the London Institute:

• around 40 per cent were in permanent employment. Among those who had been in the labour market for three and a half years, this figure was 50 per cent.

• one-third were developing their own portfolio or studio work, and one-third doing freelance work.

• around one-fifth were in temporary employment, a figure which declines slowly over time.

• around one-fifth were undertaking training or further studies; there was evidence of a relatively strong commitment to learning at all career stages.

• Work experience and voluntary work featured in the early experiences of around ten per cent.

• Unemployment was relatively high at all career stages (ie between seven and eleven per cent). During periods of unemployment many graduates were involved in a range of ‘productive’, if not income generating, career related activities.

Other findings also highlight the fragmented nature of art and design graduates’ career experiences.

Current employment

Half of those surveyed were working in artistic professions, while the rest were widely spread across a range of other occupations. Nearly half were working in the media, fashion industry or visual and performing arts, and just under one-third were self-employed. Freelance work was the most common activity among this group (mentioned by 65 per cent), followed by those who were setting up a business (17 per cent), and six per cent who were exhibiting art works to sell.

The findings on income levels agree with other research in this area and confirm that most artists live on lower than average incomes. However, income levels grow, albeit rather slowly, the longer graduates have been in the labour market.

• One and a half years after graduation, one-third of 1995 respondents were earning less than £5,000. One-fifth were earning between £5-£10,000, 31 per cent £10-£15,000, and 17 per cent over £15,000.

• Around one-third of 1993 and 1994 graduates were earning £10-£15,000, but a quarter earning under £5,000. Proportions of 1993 and 1994 respondents earning £15-£20,000 were very similar, while a small proportion were earning over £20,000.

Variations between groups

Variations in the employment experiences of different groups of graduates reflect largely the labour market disadvantage traditionally faced by these groups.

• Overall, female respondents were less likely than men to be in permanent and full-time employment. They were also more likely to work in fields where women have traditionally been better represented, ie the fashion industry and the public sector.

• Mature graduates face greater labour market difficulties. They were less likely than their younger peers to be in permanent and full-time employment and to be working in artistic professions. On the other hand, older graduates were more likely than the rest of the sample to be self-employed.

• Ethnic minority graduates also seem to face greater problems when they enter employment. In this survey they were less likely to be in permanent employment and more likely to be unemployed than their white peers.

• Income differences emerging from the survey confirm the higher level of labour market disadvantage faced by these groups.

Career satisfaction expectations

The majority of respondents were satisfied with all aspects of their work, other than earnings.

1. London Institute graduates were particularly satisfied with the quality of work they had had since completing their course (67 per cent said they were either very satisfied or satisfied with this).

2. Satisfaction levels were also relatively high (between 53 and 56 per cent) in relation to the range and quantity of work.

3. Just under one-third were happy with their earnings, but 45 per cent stated they were either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.

With regard to their next five years, expectations about the ‘ideal job’ were high; nearly half said they were working towards this goal. However:

• just over one-third were hoping for a promotion

• a quarter thought they might change work patterns

• only a minority (22 per cent) believed they would be in the same situation

• one-fifth expected to be doing a range of jobs

• 18 per cent predicted a change in career direction.

Skill needs and gaps

The findings confirm the high level of need among new art and design graduates for a range of career management and enterprise skills. All the skill sets listed in the questionnaire received high scores from the overwhelming majority of respondents. Most graduates believed the level of competence developed in these skill areas during their course was inadequate.

• the largest gaps were related to negotiating and networking skills

• significant gaps emerged in self-confidence, self-promotion, entrepreneurial skills, time management and the ability to cope with uncertainty

• smaller gaps lay between the level of competence developed during the course and the current importance of: self-motivation, decision making, problem solving, creativity, communication, team working and craft/technical skills.

The gaps in relation to negotiating, networking and self-promotion are concerning. These skills are vital in a field where knowing the right people, being in the right place at the right time, establishing one’s reputation and maintaining a high level of visibility are essential to secure different forms of employment.

Given the high proportion of graduates who were self-employed, the perceived inadequacy of enterprise skills must be also be given careful consideration. Most respondents had to juggle a range of paid and non-profitable activities at any one time: the low level of competence reported in time management skills must make life much harder for many graduates.

Relatively large gaps were also identified in relation to the ability to cope with uncertainty and self-confidence. Clearly more needs to be done to prepare under-graduates for working life, to help them manage their expectations without undermining their confidence.

Career preparation

The need for more and better integrated career advice and guidance activities is a key message emerging from the study. Respondents emphasised that these should become an integral part of the course curriculum provided not only by careers advisers, but also by tutors, visiting lecturers and professionals from the art, design and media.

Much could be done by teaching staff to encourage students to make a more effective use of the Careers Service during and after their course. Finally, the need was highlighted for a range of post-graduation courses and workshops, carefully timed and planned to reflect graduates’ changing needs at different career stages.

The higher education challenge

Equipping graduates with a broad range of skills and providing substantial career preparation can be crucial in determining if and how quickly new art and design graduates are able to make a living from their art practice, or establish themselves in other careers.

Initiatives such as the Camberwell project are much needed throughout higher education. We hope the report will generate widespread discussion and further research on two key issues.

• First, careful thought should be given to how skill development and career preparation activities are integrated into the crowded curriculum. Making these activities relevant to students, particularly early on in their course, will require some creative thinking. Professionals and employers could help develop these activities. Work experience should also be a central component of any initiative aimed at enhancing graduates’ employability.

• Second, further research is needed to gain a better understanding of art and design graduates’ long term careers. Their career patterns are very complex and diverse, and data covering a longer period of time would provide a clearer picture. In particular, it is important to understand better the employment experiences of art and design graduates who leave, or never enter, the arts labour market.

The study

The study was initially commissioned to inform the development of a Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) funded project at Camberwell College of Arts. This aims to establish a model for the incorporation of career management and enterprise skills into the curriculum. In recognition of the critical importance of the issues covered by the study, all the other London Institute colleges agreed to take part in the survey.

The Art of Getting Started: Graduate skills in a fragmented labour market, La Valle I, O’Regan S, Jackson C. Report 364, Institute for Employment Studies, 2000.
ISBN: 978-1-85184-294-0. PDF Download only: £8.00

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