CREATIVE INDUSTRIESEDUCATION PARTNERSHIP

CONTENTS3 - 4 Report Overview

5 - 6 Creative Routes

7 - 14 Case Studies

15 - 16 Feedback

17 - 18 Creative Industries Forum

19 - 24 Future Development

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REPORT OVERVIEW

The impact of this work is relevant to both education and industry

in terms of young people’s aspirations, personal development and

academic achievement as well as the future success of the creative

industries and creative skills across all industry sectors.

The primary focus is the increasing demand for real work-based and

work-related learning experiences for young people that will equip

them with skills, knowledge and experience for employment. This

creates a greater demand for industry involvement in education

and the need to develop mutually beneficial partnerships between

education and industry. At the forefront of these reforms are the

new Diploma qualifications – our focus being the Creative &

Media Diploma.

The case for increased industry involvement in education has already

been made in a range of policy directives and research reports and

is now an accepted part of the education landscape. These include

the 14-19 Educational and Skills (White Paper), All Our Futures (NACCE

report), The Tomlinson Report, The Leitch Review of Skills, Creative Britain

and The Cox Review. The purpose of this report is to look at how theory

and policy is put into practice.

Hub Agency has produced this report to reflect on practical work we have developed and managed relating to

creative industry involvement in education. It is targeted at professionals involved, or interested in, industry-education

work and provides recommendations for future development. It is also pertinent to professionals working strategically

in the context of both 14-19 educational reform and creative industries development. The report focuses on the East

Midlands where the practical work was carried out but has relevance nationally.

NOW IS THE TIME TO RECOGNISE THE GROWING

SUCCESS STORY THAT IS BRITAIN’S CREATIVE ECONOMY

AND BUILD ON THAT. CREATIVE BRITAIN“ ”

The report features two programmes of work

developed and managed by Hub Agency and

commissioned by Creative Partnerships Bolsover,

Ashfield & Mansfield (BAM) and Creative

Partnerships Derby:

CREATIVE ROUTES

8 projects where creative industry professionals worked

with pupils on projects in schools. This work was

evaluated in terms of the impact of the relationships

for young people, teachers and industry professionals.

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES FORUM

An event for Creative Industries promoting the Creative

& Media Diploma and follow up workshops bringing

industry professionals and teachers together to explore

partnership approaches to Diploma development. This

strand of work was aligned with Diploma development

in the Derbyshire region and was supported and co-

funded by Derbyshire County Council 14-19

Education Team.

The report also draws on work Hub Agency has carried

out with three Creative & Media Diploma consortia

in Derbyshire with Derbyshire County Council 14-19

Education Team and with consortia across the East

Midlands through the Specialist Schools and

Academies Trust.

The latter section of the report outlines our

recommendations for the future development of

this work based on the insight gained from our

practical work and our experience and knowledge

of this agenda. These recommendations can be

summarised as follows:

• Createmoreopportunitiestodevelopindustry

education work. Experiment and innovate, try out

new ideas, take risks and expand thinking.

• Developmoreopportunitiesforyoungpeopleto

be directly involved, and responsible for, the

development of industry related activity.

• Carryoutanongoingevaluationofactivitytobuild

up a body of evidence of effective practice that

can inform and inspire future development.

• Gatheruptodateinformationaboutboth

education and industry and create resources to

assist practical work.

• Identifyandunderstandissuesandbarriersand

develop strategies for dealing with them.

• Providehighqualityprofessionaldevelopment

opportunities for both education and

industry practitioners.

• Acollectiveeffortbyregionalstrategic

development and sector support agencies to

promote and support activity.

The demand for increased involvement of the

creative industries in education presents an exciting

opportunity to create a dynamic relationship

between the two sectors that significantly improves

the existing educational experience for young

people and develops the talent required to secure

the future growth of the creative industries in

the region.

We will continue to develop this work and are

looking for opportunities to make links with others

who share an interest. If any elements of this report

resonate with you please get in touch.

STEVE LITTLE & ROB AITKEN

Directors - Hub Agency

Creative Partnerships BAM and Derby commissioned Hub Agency to develop a strand

of project based work relating to the involvement of creative industries in education. The

overall context of the work was raising young people’s aspirations.

Following an initial period of exploratory projects Hub Agency developed a focussed

programme of work called Creative Routes. Eight schools in the Derby City and Bolsover,

Ashfield and Mansfield (North Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire) areas were approached

to be involved in the project. Each school was supported to identify an organisation from

the creative industries as a partner and to develop ideas to work together. A budget of

£5,000 was provided for each partnership.

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PROJECT

EDUCATION FOR 14-19 YEAR OLDS IS CHANGING.

THESE REFORMS AIM TO CREATE AN EDUCATION

SYSTEM THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF EMPLOYERS

AND YOUNG PEOPLE ALIKE.“ ”

CASE STUDIES

Initial discussions: The school has a very diverse make up with students from over 50 countries attending it.

The focus of this project was to raise personal ambitions and aspirations. Designer Forum was identified by

the school as an organisation they had previously worked with and had a desire to work with again.

Designer Forum took responsibility for project management and provided access to resources and

equipment and links with business. The project raised the young people’s awareness of the textile

industry and its diversity and set a brief for the young people to design and make a tent, aimed at

the music festival market.

Terra Nova, a Derbyshire Tent Manufacturer, provided industry visits and resources for the students.

The groups conducted market research and produced mood boards before deciding on the

design or theme of there tent. Unfortunately within the timescale and budget they were unable to

take the students through the entire process and therefore students customised existing tents

SECTOR: TEXTILES

BEMROSE COMMUNITY SCHOOL AND DESIGNER FORUM / TERRA NOVA

Initial discussions: The teacher identified that the school would be offering an Applied Media qualification Levels 1-3 from September

2008 and that this project could assist in developing this qualification’s delivery. Also identified were CPD needs of the teacher and

access to industry standard equipment.

Working to a brief to produce a film promoting the area as a centre for film production. The e-Learning Centre was

commissioned to work with students on the media course to raise their awareness of the industry, develop film making

skills and meet the curriculum requirements for the Applied Media course.

The class worked in small groups and had access to the e-Learning Centre’s equipment and resources. The industry

partner gave training to the young people in all aspects of film production including story boarding, camera work and

editing. Using the school as a location, a number of films were produced that responded to the above brief.

SECTOR: MEDIA - FILM PRODUCTION

ASHFIELD SCHOOL AND NOTTINGHAM E-LEARNING CENTRE

Initial discussions: This project was intended to form half a terms work in the new topic based curriculum

and to develop skills in staff and students that could be used when producing school performances.

The Babbling Vagabonds gave a shadow puppet performance to the school and afterwards talked to

the staff about the development of the project.

The Babbling Vagabonds stated that the project would have two main aims; to enable year 3 pupils

to investigate and explore the jobs involved in realising a theatrical performance, from ideas through

to presentation, and to allow the pupils to make choices and decisions regarding the direction of

the project throughout its delivery

All groups effectively worked on every aspect of creating a show; chose the story that they wanted

to work on, designed the puppets, sets and environments, made them, wrote a script and recorded

it, added sound effects, created a show, rehearsed and performed it to other pupils, teachers

and parents. Along side this they created marketing materials (posters and tickets), distributed

them, sold tickets and greeted the audience as they arrived. Students were in charge of the stage

management of their own shows.

SECTOR: THEATRE PRODUCTION

BOLSOVER CHURCH OF ENGLAND JUNIOR SCHOOL AND BABBLING VAGABONDS

Initial discussions: Hub Agency were contacted by the school who were looking for companies local to the

school who they could establish long term ties, set real design briefs and offer work experience to assist in the

development of their Gateway application to deliver the manufacturing diploma. Creative Partnerships had

received funding from Ngage and Hub Agency was able to offer the school a Creative Routes Project.

Hub Agency commissioned two organisations to undertake this work. Designer Forum: to provide information and resources

about the textile industry and contacts to develop relationships with 3 local textile businesses. Film City: to develop young

people’s film making skills and produce a film about the textile industry and it’s diversity and promote it as a career choice

for young people as well as recruiting for textiles qualifications in the school.

The initial session was delivered by Designer Forum to staff and students and gave an overview of fashion and technical

textiles. Designer Forum also provided resources that students used in their research for the production of the film. Film City

then worked with the young people to script and produce the film. The content of the film includes presentations interviews

and visits to local textile businesses.

SECTOR: TEXTILES / FILM

HERITAGE COMMUNITY SCHOOL AND DESIGNER FORUM / FILM CITY

Initial discussions: The school identified the need for staff development in terms of current practices in industry

and to link the project to their existing BTEC qualification. The project was offered to teachers delivering creative

subjects through a tendering process.

Initial discussions: The initial session concluded in outlining the following aims;

access to industry standard equipment, making the case for resourcing the

music department and raising the aspirations of young people

The graphic design teacher responded to the offer and worked with the industry

partner between September 2007 and March 2009. The students were set 3 design

briefs over this period. They designed a set of commemorative stamps, designed and

produced Christmas decorations and produced a design for the

Creative Routes report.

In addition to this 23 Skidoo gave the students; an overview of potential opportunities

in the industry for web design, graphic design, packaging, etc. tools to help students

in the design process, including research and creativity wheels, and introduced them

to mood boards, research techniques and brainstorming. The partnership is currently

continuing without funding with 23 Skidoo acting as a mentor/consultant to help the

young people develop projects.

County Youth Arts were employed to raise the aspiration of young people to work in the industry, learn

technical skills, provide access to resources at county youth arts and to accredit participants.

The students had to go through an application process go gain a place on the course – the project was

offered to students who were interested in the music industry, as a reward/incentive for good behaviour

and for students who agreed to make up for the work they missed at school during the time of the project.

County Youth Arts ran two OCN courses. Each OCN was delivered over 6 sessions and students learnt

various technical skills in relation to sound recording.

SECTOR: GRAPHIC DESIGN

LEES BROOK COMMUNITY SPORTS COLLEGE AND 23 SKIDOO

SECTOR: MUSIC TECHNOLOGY

MEDEN SCHOOL AND TECHNOLOGY COLLEGE AND COUNTY YOUTH ARTS

ONE TEACHER STATED THE PROJECT WAS ‘ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC’

THEY LEARNT SO MUCH.“ ”

Initial discussions: The school identified they wanted to work with low achievers to improve their

literacy and listening skills and raise there awareness of the creative industries. The intention to

run a project with one or two classes for six weeks for the work to compliment the curriculum,

provide CPD from staff and develop the use of broadcast within the school.

PHASE 1

The aim of the project was to develop skills in radio production, produce a piece of radio and find opportunities to

broadcast it. The initial sessions were successful and feedback was very positive. The young people visited the Derwent FM studio,

learnt skills and were inspired when using industry standard equipment. The project lost momentum and despite intervention from

Hub Agency the relationship broke down for a number of reasons.

PHASE 2

Initially the project looked at building on previous work in the graphic design course. The 1st idea of producing a board game

was not used as it was too restrictive to respond to aims defined in the initial discussions. Students were challenged to produce,

market and sell 8 page colour booklets. They worked in 2 groups and were in competition with each other to raise the most money

for charity. Groups worked in teams to decide a theme for their booklets, design and produce copy, manage the distribution and

launch events as well as being responsible for budgets and project management.

SECTOR: RADIO / PUBLICATION

MURRAY PARK SCHOOL AND DERWENT FM / FOX GRAPHICS

Initial discussions: The teacher stated that she would benefit from access to expertise and equipment to

increase her knowledge of industry. There were two elements to the delivery of the project; initially providing

her with mentoring / CPD and then for the industry partner to work with the class and set design briefs.

bfcc were commissioned to work with the teacher and students between September 07 and July 08. Initially the teacher visited bfcc

to access CPD and mentoring and discuss the development of the project. bfcc worked with the young people settingt a brief to

develop an advertising campaign for a company selling exotic dried fruits.

Unfortunately due to a number of staff changes, difficulties with communication and access to resources at the school the impact of

this project was difficult to evaluate.

SECTOR: ADVERTISING & MARKETING

ST BENEDICT SCHOOL AND PERFORMING ARTS COLLEGE AND bfcc

IT WAS GREAT WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT WE WERE GOING

TO DO THEN WE DID IT.“ ”

Each partnership was evaluated in terms of the benefits for the young people, the teachers and the

industry professionals via interviews carried out midway and at the end of each project. We have

collated the pertinent feedback from these interviews below:

Teachers identified that these projects were beneficial as

they provided access to industry standard equipment

and software, raised their awareness of potential career

routes and provided them with up to date knowledge of

industry practice and trends. All commented that work

outside the classroom and visits were very beneficial.

In some cases health and safety, insurance, child

protection and risk assessments prevented out of school

visits and trips. Opinion of how difficult it was to arrange

and how much work was required to organise this varied

and this seemed to be dependent on the culture within

the school. Industry was also restricted by these issues.

Teachers stated that they had benefited from being able

to observe different approaches to teaching (by the

industry professionals) and this had resulted in staff seeing

different sides of the students particularly in regard to

group work and how the students supported each other.

One teacher said this project had allowed her to observe

the industry professional teaching and to see how the

students responded to different teaching styles. The input

from the industry partner gave the lessons a different

dynamic as the industry partner was seen by the students

as a professional in the topic field rather than a teacher.

All of the industry partners said that they would welcome

the opportunity to explore further opportunities for joint

delivery. One industry partner stated that they would have

liked to have additional planning time to create a more

dynamic relationship and to develop their awareness of

student’s capabilities. Industry partners highlighted that

many students are very technically aware and it was

important to take this into account when planning and

delivering projects.

All of the teachers stated that they would like to develop

on-going and more in-depth relationships with industry

partners and had a desire to continue and develop

relationships they had made during the project. All felt

that these projects had increased their knowledge and

skills but that on reflection it would have been useful to

have training before the project so they could assist the

students more during the process.

Some of the teachers involved in the projects had little

or no experience of industry and in some cases were

teaching subjects they had little knowledge of. Many of

the teachers said that the work had given them more

confidence to deliver industry related learning but that

the quality of the work may suffer without the

industry partner.

Teachers said that the benefits of these partnerships

had gone beyond the delivery of project work and

that they would be interested in developing mentoring

relationships with the industry professionals. One school

is now interested in working with the industry partner and

outsourcing delivery to them.

FEEDBACK

This work has taken place in the context of the emerging Creative &

media Diploma. These projects provided an opportunity to test out

Diploma-style work, provide CPD, develop relationships with industry

and identify practical issues.

Some industry partners were keen to explore the potential

market in education and the opportunities occurring from the

14 -19 educational reform, particularly the Creative and Media

Diploma. One industry partner said that they had gained a better

understanding of their own practice, had developed resources for

use in this project that have potential to be used in other projects

and have a raised awareness of possibilities for work in education

Teachers remarked that the project had helped with learning for

other subjects. One school said that the project had impacted

on the curriculum for both Design & Technology, Business and

Enterprise (something they usually find difficult), as well as Maths

and English. Some of the projects required students to be released

from other classes and in some cases other teachers needed to be

convinced their project was worthwhile.

These types of projects suited some students learning styles more

than others but some teachers commented that they would

not necessarily have been able to identify the individuals who

benefited the most at the beginning of project. The focus of these

projects was on production and not assessment and this generally

led to increased motivation from students. One teacher stated that

the number of students opting for design courses had increased

and that they felt this was due to this project

Students successfully worked in teams and to deadlines and were

aware of the impact it would have if they did not work effectively

in this way. All stated that there was not usually the opportunity for

young people to work in teams to the extent they did. Project work

meant that students did more practical work and gained more skills

in this area than they would have otherwise.

The professional quality of the outputs they produced surprised and

inspired students. Parents were also more engaged by this type of

work commenting on the high standards of outputs and how the

young people had enjoyed the different way of working. Where

work was presented to the rest of the school feedback showed that

other staff and students were impressed with the quality of

the outputs.

Students said that they had gained a better understanding of

industry processes, gained practical skills, knowledge of the sector

and routes into the industry. Also it had increased knowledge of

how industry works – particularly in relation to timescales, finances

and team work. The initial sessions consisted of planning and

whereas some students wanted to begin practical work straight

away they understood this was part of the process. Students also

commented that they had an increased understanding of trends

and how the industry understands and responds to them.

Teachers, industry professionals and students all identified the

importance of keeping the momentum of the project. Projects

suffered when industry partners were unable to deliver sessions

because of business pressures, when teachers were required to fulfil

other commitments such as covering other lessons or responding

to other demands, and when students had other commitments

such as sports days and curriculum work.

When partners were asked to be critical of each other comments

included; communication with the schools has proved difficult,

one teacher expected more dynamism from the industry partner,

some industry partners had issues with time keeping, in one project

due to a number of staff changes the head of department was

not aware of the project and its aims and intended outcomes,

teacher’s personality, expectations and way of controlling the

students has a major impact on delivery and some cases the

industry partner had to take control of discipline when they felt

this should have been the role of the teacher.

Hub Agency was commissioned by Creative Partnerships BAM to develop a Continuous Professional

Development (CPD) programme designed to bring together professionals from education and

the creative industries. The resultant programme was called Creative Industries Forum. Through

negotiation with Derbyshire County Council 14-19 Education Team the programme was aligned with

the development of the Creative and Media Diploma in the Derbyshire region. Derbyshire County

Council also provided additional funding to support the programme.

STAGE 1 – SYMPOSIUM EVENT

An event targeted at creative industries professionals to raise

awareness of the Creative & Media Diploma, highlight opportunities

for involvement and provide an opportunity to meet the schools and

colleges involved in the development in Derbyshire.

The event included the presentations covering; the creative industries

in today’s market, 14-19 educational reform and local Diploma

developments, an overview of the Creative and Media Diploma

and its content, and Creative Routes case studies from Lees Brook

Community Sports College, 23 Skidoo, Heritage Community School

and Film City.

Following the presentations there was a ‘market place’ consisting of

the following stalls: The four Diploma consortia from the Derbyshire

region (Chesterfield, High Peaks & Derbyshire Dales, Ilkeston and

Derby City), Creative & Media Diploma information, Derbyshire County

Council Creative Industries Development Officer and the Derbyshire

Education Business Partnership.

81 delegates attended the event. This included 49 creative industry

professionals, 16 consortia members, 8 young people involved in case

study presentations and 8 others (including Derbyshire Education

Business Partnership, EM-Media, Arts Council, Derby University, and

Derbyshire 14-19 Education Team)

Feedback from event:

• Industryprofessionalssaiditwasausefulwayoffindingoutabout

the Creative & Media Diploma and to meet all of the schools and

colleges involved at the same event as well as network with other

professionals from the sector

• Consortiateacherssaiditwasagoodopportunitytomeet

professionals from industry, particularly those who they had not

had contact with before

• Thepresentationsbytheyoungpeoplewentdownreallywell–

delegates said that it made them focus on the positive effect that

industry involvement in education can have on young people.

When we evaluated the Creative Routes programme the young

people who attended the event mentioned the experience and

said that it had been good for them from an educational

perspective to have to present to adults and also made them

feel proud of their achievements.

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES FORUM

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES FORUM WAS SPLIT INTO 2 DISTINCT INTERRELATED STAGES:

STAGE 2 – WORKSHOPS

A series of workshops providing opportunities for teaching

professionals and creative industry professionals to be involved

in joint planning and development activity directly relating to the

Creative & Media Diploma.

After an initial overview of the Creative & Media Diploma, focussing on

the demand for industry involvement, delegates were split into groups

with a mixture of education and industry professionals and asked

to vision an exciting scheme of work for a group of 14-19 year old

students over the period of a year. No restrictions – anything is possible.

The ideas generated included:

• Establishingtheatrecompanies

• Organisinganddeliveringfestivals

• Puttingonmultimediaevents

• Productdevelopment

• Runningfashionshows

• Developingvenuesforcreativeactivity

They were then asked to reflect on potential issues and barriers that

would restrict or prevent the work from happening and how they might

overcome these. At the end of the workshops participants were asked

to identify one thing that resonated with them from the session and

their replies are summarised below:

• Struckbythecommonlanguagebetweenindustryandeducation

• Lotsofpotential–needtomakeclearwhatit(theDiploma)is,

(particularly to parents)

• Workplacementsmaygiveanoverviewortasteofindustrybutwill

this cover business models or creativity?

• Childprotectionisthemainissue–who’sresponsible?

• Thereneedstobesupportforcompaniestoworkineducationand

help for small companies to take on placements

• Itisanextraworkloadforteachersandadifferentrole

• Thefocusneedstobeonstudents

• Trainingforindustryprofessionalsisneededwithinputfromteachers

• Concernaroundcommunication

• Teachersaren’tthinkingaboutitfromanindustrypointofview

• Fantasticsession–butconcernaboutparentsandyoungerage

14 year olds

• Practicallywhatcanbedonewithstudentswithinrestrictions?

• Desiretoidentifythemeor‘bigidea’assoonaspossible

• Ithasbeenveryusefultogetteachersperspective

• Aneedforgreaterunderstandingoftheissues

• Greattobeinvolvedindialoguewithindustrybutconcernsaround

getting the message out to the cultural sector

• Gettingstudentscontactwithindustryshouldhavehappeneda

long time ago

• Athemetohangthediplomaonwouldmakeitmoretangible

• Thisreformisreallyexcitingbutwilltaketime

• Communicationatalllevelsiskey

• Itisessentialtohavethistypeoffacetofaceworkbetween

teachers and industry professionals

• Concernsaroundtimescale

• Wanttoseemoreuniversitiesandindustrypartnersinvolved

• Theworkshophasbeenveryuseful–concernsaroundtimeand

how to sell to students

• Veryexciting–diplomashavethepotentialtocreateyoungpeople

who are better equipped for work

• Needforcreativeproblemsolvingtofindsolutions

• It’schallenging!

• Needforpartnershipworkandaculturalshift–needyoungpeople

to be advocates to help with recruitment

• Thereisscopeforyoungpeopletoleadthereownlearning

• Needforcalculatedrisktaking

• Startingstudentsyoungerwillraisequalificationsathigherlevels

• Industryrelationshipscouldincludementoring

• Itwillinvolveteachersworkingdifferentlyasprojectmanagers

• Where’sthefundingcomingfrom?

• Qualityiskeyandneedstobesustained

• Lotsofworkforschoolandtheyneedtimetosortoutlinks

• “Diplomasstandorfallonpartnership”

WORKING IN TEAMS IS HARD, WAITING FOR OTHER

PEOPLE TO FINISH TASKS BEFORE YOU CAN MOVE ON.“ ”

The work we have developed and managed has given us a valuable insight into industry-

education related work. Below we have collated a series of observations and recommendations

to provide stimulus for further debate and action:

PRACTICAL WORK

The creative industries is a broad, diverse and ever evolving

sector incorporating a wide range of disciplines including

film, radio, TV, graphic design, visual arts, performing arts,

publishing, fashion, creative writing, computer gaming and

interactive software. It includes private business, publicly

funded organisations, the public and voluntary sector as

well as the many creative roles in other business sectors. In

the East Midlands the sector is made up mainly of small to

medium enterprises (SME’s), micro-businesses and individual

practitioners. An East Midlands creative industries data study

published in 2008 by BOP Consulting stated that in 2005 there

were 13,400 creative industries businesses in the region and

that 62,500 people were employed in the sector. Interestingly

the report found that the number of creative industries jobs was

higher in urban districts but there were more creative industries

businesses in rural districts.

Evidently there is a large scope for the involvement of the

industry in education but to unpack this potential will require

significant developmental activity to take place. As well as

building on existing activity and relationships there is a need

to experiment and innovate, try out new ideas, take risks and

think creatively. On page 21 we have outlined different ways

that industry can get involved with education and how they

could benefit. This is a chart we produced to use as a stimulus

for discussion with prospective industry partners. These are

a range of examples but by no means an exhaustive list.

Many businesses are unable, or initially unwilling, to offer more

intensive commitments such as work placements for young

people or to be involved in teaching but can be involved in

other ways. For example we have found that the consultant/

mentor type of role is often a good starting point for building

relationships as input can be flexible in terms of when, where

and how often contact takes place. This role often leads to

further involvement as the relationship develops.

Activity should be evaluated to build on previous work and

collect an evolving body of evidence to help identify effective

practice to both inform and inspire future development. This

evaluation should take into account all partners aims and

objectives on not be purely from an education perspective. It

is also important not to assume that any contact with industry

is good contact; the evaluation will also help to identify quality

practice and highlight issues and barriers and how they are

being successfully addressed.

Along side the evaluation of activity there is a need to build

up and maintain up to date intelligence relevant to this work.

This would include:

• Industry:Informationaboutthecreativeindustriesinthe

region, employment opportunities, typical career routes,

current and future trends, creative roles in other industry

sectors, rural and urban differences, potential resources

• Education:Anassessmentoftheneedforindustry

involvement in education across all ages and qualifications,

details of consortium developing the Creative & Media

Diploma and Creative Apprenticeships, Specialist Arts

Colleges, creative industry related venues and resources

(e.g. theatres, media suites, film editing facilities), young

people’s interests

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

YOUNG PEOPLE

Through the Creative Routes work we have witnessed the range of

positive outcomes for young people through working with industry

professionals. Part of the success is that it is different from typical

school work; it involves new people who are not teachers and the

work is project based, time limited and task focused. The buzz that

this creates helps maintain attention and projects tended to be more

successful when they were more intensive and focussed. As well as the

benefits to learning and personal development we think there is a real

opportunity for young people to have a more dynamic relationship

with the agenda of industry involvement and would like to see more

development work in this area. They could be involved in the initial

contacting and negotiating with industry partners, joint plan schemes

of work and be involved with the professional development delivery

for teachers.

There is also vast potential for tangible industry benefit with young

people acting in marketing and market research roles and as ideas

and content generators. For example as part of their curriculum study

young people could carry out market research briefs for computer

game developers, produce content for film festivals, help market and

organise arts events and develop ideas for fashion designers targeting

the youth market. There are some good examples in the region of

Diploma consortia consulting with young people and developing

projects that respond to their needs, interests and potential careers.

However, our experience is that adults develop almost all of the

relationships with industry with young people being the recipients.

Further development in these areas would advance the agendas

of personalised learning and young people led activity and would

bring a new dynamic to qualifications such as the Creative & Media

Diploma. Interestingly a number of industry partners said that they

would be more likely to positively respond to requests to get involved

with education work if it was young people doing the asking.

A further potential opportunity that arises is that of enterprise. In some

cases the quality of products and services produced during the

Creative Routes project and through these types of programmes of

work reaches professional standards and consequently this creates

opportunities for enterprise activity and revenue generation. Obviously

the focus needs to remain on the process and learning that takes

place but sales of products and services could provide resources

and create sustainability for these types of relationships. Enterprise

activity could operate on a purely commercial level or be applied in a

community context under the ethos of social enterprise.

MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL PARTNERSHIPS

In order to be successful relationships between education and

industry need to be based on a strong partnership ethos and be

mutually beneficial. The potential benefits of these relationships to

teaching and learning are clear but industry needs time and help

to assess the benefits for them as well as to develop their offer. On

the chart on page x we have outlined some of the potential benefits

for industry and have found this a useful starting point with our

negotiations with industry partners. If the industry partner can see a

benefit from the relationship and also feels valued they are more likely

to stay involved. This sounds obvious but it is surprising how many

examples we have seen where industry partners have been treated

poorly and taken for granted without a thought for their requirements

in the relationship. Successful partnership working is based on clearly

defined roles and aims and objectives that have been established by

partners though negotiation.

The brokerage role in these partnerships is extremely important and

there are a number of reasons for this: Schools need to know who

and what is out there, what is possible and how much it costs. Often

schools do not have the capacity or knowledge to source industry

partners and have little time to invest in selecting the partner who

will have the most impact. Industry need help to find educational

institutions that could benefit from their potential offer, assistance

with practicalities such as accessing CRB checks and understanding

risk assessments and child protection. Partners may find it difficult to

be critical of these relationships, for example, if an industry is giving

time and resources for free how do you create an environment that

allows criticism and therefore leads to improvements in the outcomes

of partnerships. Brokers can also play a key role in ensuring that

relationships are genuinely mutually beneficial, projects keep to task

and are within budget and are evaluated impartially.

Ensure that academia is equipping

students with the kills they need to

make the most effective contribution

they can to the creative economy.

Creative Britain

“ ”

IDENTIFYING AND ADDRESSING

ISSUES AND BARRIERS

Evaluating activity will help to build awareness and

understanding of the issues and barriers that affect the impact of

this work and to develop strategies for addressing them.

From our experience communication is the most evident barrier

to success. In both the Creative Routes project and the Creative

Industries Forum communication has been problematic and in

some cases led to the breakdown of the relationship between

the school and the industry partner. Other common issues and

barriers are the lack of funding for industry involvement, issues

around taking young people out of school and the late arrival or

cancellation of sessions by industry professionals.

Where projects worked well there was commonly an identified

contact person at the school who responded quickly to

communication and who took a lead role organising activity with

other members of the staff team. Getting young people out of the

class for visits to industry settings was frequently an issue in terms of

both cost and logistics. Some schools had their own transport and

could be flexible with teacher cover but in others visits to industry

settings were simply not feasible. There was also a lack of clarity

and consistency around issues of health and safety, insurance

and child protection procedures. The increasing demand for work

based, as opposed to work related, learning experiences for young

people will mean that this agenda will need to be addressed.

Industry professionals turning up late to sessions or cancelling at

the last minute are often attributed to business pressures but are

obviously difficult to manage from a teaching point of view. Where

industry professionals are working for a fee this is easier to manage

and less common as when relationships are voluntary.

Some issues and barriers are reliant on changes in policy and

working practice or require funding to address, others can

be avoided by setting clear objectives and parameters when

negotiating and planning activity and efficient communication.

FUNDING

The potential offer from industry is fantastic but the lack of funding

for involvement is frequently identified as an issue. There is a certain

amount of involvement that can be achieved without the need

for financial remuneration, either by relying on good will or the

mutual benefits we have detailed elsewhere in the report, but the

provision of funding would significantly unlock the potential. We

are not suggesting that all industry work needs to be financed

just that funding should be part of the mutual benefit equation.

Negotiating with industry without money to pay for expenses such

as travel and materials, never mind the time they are spending

away from their business activity, is not easy. The creative industries

in the East Midlands are predominantly small and medium

enterprises (SME’s), micro businesses and individual practitioners

and they do not have the same capacity as larger organisations

to include education involvement within their work or to see the

direct benefits of the work, for example in terms of recruitment. The

scale of industry involvement required, particularly by the Creative

& Media Diploma, will at the very least require funding to kick-start

activity and develop relationships.

The message from schools and colleges is commonly that they

do not have funding from their budgets but development money

has been made available for the Diploma and consortia are given

extra funding (approximately £1000 per year for each Diploma

student) from the Government. Some consortia in the region

are using part of this funding to resource relationship building

with industry. A more radical suggestion is a fresh look at how

education budgets are distributed by Local Authorities or within

individual schools or colleges and ring-fencing funding for industry

involvement in acknowledgement of the significant role required

and the considerable benefits to teaching and learning. There

is also an opportunity for strategic organisations to make funds

available for development work. EMDA recently launched a funded

initiative called Catapulting Kids aimed at boosting industry

involvement for the Diploma for their priority strategic sectors.

Something similar for the Creative Industries would be highly

beneficial. The sharing of resources and expertise across the region

and the avoidance of duplication of provision will also make the

best use of the resources available.

STRATEGIC WORK

Industry-education work impacts on young people’s creative skills

development, their awareness of the creative industries and ultimately

the future development of the creative industries and the regional

economy. This resonates with the strategies of various regional strategic

organisations including EMDA, EMCCEP, Learning and Skills Council,

Arts Council, EM-Media, Culture East Midlands and the creative

industry Sector Skills Councils (Skillset, Creative & Cultural Skills and

Skillset). Strategic work both individually and collaboratively between

these organisations could significantly boost the quality and quantity

of industry-education work in the region. This could include developing

projects and initiatives as well as providing funding, expertise and

sector knowledge. One good example would be a regional campaign

aimed at promoting and supporting the Creative & Media Diploma.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

There is clearly a need for professional development for both teachers

and industry professionals when undertaking this type of work. In some

cases teachers have had little or no industry experience and industry

professionals usually would like to develop teaching and group work

skills as well as gaining a better understanding of curriculum and

assessment requirements. There also needs to be acknowledgement

that for this type of project work educational institutions will need to

develop project management skills. The table overleaf outlines stands

of work we are currently developing

IT HAS OPENED MY EYES TO A DIFFERENT

WAY OF WORKING.“ ”

SERVICE TYPE OF CONTENT

Seminars Current and future trends in industry with an East Midlands context, typical career routes

and trajectories.

Master-classes Creative & media skills based workshops developing practical skills that can be utilised in teaching,

for example, making short films, animation, textiles design, computer applications, web based tools,

project management skills.

Industry experiences Opportunities for teaching professionals to spend time working in real industry settings to gain an

insight into working practice, for example, working as a runner on a film set, spending a day at a

radio station or working on a major theatre production.

Advice portal A Web based portal where you can ask a question and get a response from the relevant person.

Resources Industry information, ideas for industry-relevant teaching methods, company accounts, case

studies, videos, photographs, power points. Mixtures of downloadable files and publications

and products.

Utilising On-line information sharing resources such as You Tube, Flickr, Slide Share, Squidoo, Blogger.

Biannual event Biannual ‘Expo’ style event aimed at teaching professionals featuring the above type of content that

is toured around the region highlighting a different sector area each time. Hosted by Universities and

creative industry venues.

Consultant/mentor relationships Industry professionals acting as consultants/mentors to teaching professionals.

Joint working initiatives Opportunities for teaching professionals to work with creative industry professionals to develop and

plan schemes of work.

Network activity A range of networking opportunities both virtual and physical. Meetings, events, on-line forums,

and blogs.

Industry support Analysing the potential for involvement and the benefits, understanding education qualifications

and initiatives, working with young people and understanding the language of education.

Project management Developing and managing projects – initiated by or managed on behalf of other organisations.

Roles could include brokerage, ideas development, budget management, monitoring, evaluation,

keeping to task, etc.

Research Carrying out research and evaluation and publishing reports.

Recruit and retain staff

Reduce recruitment costs and staff turnover

by making young people more informed of

your business, the skills required and

potential career paths.

Develop your future workforce

Develop young people with the right skills,

knowledge and experience for your business.

Reduce training costs

Reduce the cost of training and inducting new

recruits by introducing young people to the

required skills at an earlier age.

Identify young talent

Identify gifted and talented young people

before they enter the job market.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Put something back into your community by

helping inspire and educate young people.

Improve links with your local community

Make connections with a wide range of people

including young people, parents, governors

and teachers.

Advertising and Marketing

Take advantage of media coverage

highlighting how your company has been

involved in education.

Staff development

Working with young people in an educational

context requires high levels of personal and

interpersonal skills. Use the opportunity to

develop your staff.

Market researchGet access to groups of young people and

gauge their opinions of your products

and services.

New perspectiveWork with young people to get a new

perspective on issues that your

company faces.

Use of facilitiesBroker a relationship with a school where

you get access to space or equipment in

exchange for educational input.

New marketAt the moment it is unclear how employer

involvement in education will be funded. There

is potential for business partners to become

part of the paid infrastructure.

Explore potentialThere are many other possibilities above and

beyond those detailed. Develop a relationship

with education that is beneficial to you and

your business.

INDUSTRY EDUCATIONCombined Benefits & Payoffs

Original ideas from young people

Work with young people to get a new

perspective on issues that your

company faces.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Please contact:

3rd Floor - Middle Mill - Darley Abbey Mill

Darley Abbey - Derby - DE22 1DZ

01332 299 778

contact@hubagency.com - www.hubagency.com

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