Archived Projects
Birmingham Design Research Group
What do art, craft and design graduates do after they graduate? There is much speculation about the direction that they take in their first few years and what the pattern of their careers looks like. The annual First Directions Statistics from the Higher Education Statistics Agency provides a tantalizing picture of what graduates are doing six months after they graduate from degree courses but there the story breaks off. The pilot survey at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design covering graduates over five years suggests that many graduates take a year or longer to establish themselves in a relevant or satisfying career. A range of important questions remain unanswered. There is no clear picture of career paths in the sector. There is, for example, no agreement as to whether a significant proportion of designers end up designing nor whether crafts people survive for any substantial time working in the crafts. A rationale for fine art and other art and design disciplines more generally is that the educational experience provides for flexibility in outlook and transferable skills, both highly desirable in a fluctuating market. But there is not a reliable body of data to support such assertions.
BIAD has been conducting research into the career patterns of its art and design graduates since 1996. The first results were published as: Aston, J. (1999) Ambitions and Destinations: the Careers and Retrospective Views of Art and Design Graduates and Postgraduates, Journal of Art and Design Education, Vol. 18, no. 2, pp 231-240.
This work led to a collaborative partnership with 14 other HEIs who joined to undertake a survey of the careers of their students graduating in 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1996. A common questionnaire explored course content, skills acquisition and work placement during the degree, the range and pattern of employment since graduation, subsequent further study and training, and reflections on the experience of the degree now as well as aspirations for the future. Personal statistics were also sought from each student.
The student numbers involved in the survey were in excess of 12,000. The pilot survey achieved a response rate of 36%. This is a very high return achieved by accurate tracing and persistent follow-up. Each of the participating institutions provided the cohort details and following up non-returns to ensure a similar response rate. The partnership published:
Alison Blackwell and Lee Harvey, 'Destinations & Reflections: Careers of British art, craft and design graduates', Centre for Research into Quality, Birmingham City University in Birmingham.
Ian Dumelow, Heather MacLennan and Nick Stanley, 'Planning the Future: Career and employment patterns among British Graduates in art, craft & design', NSEAD.
The Employability Partnership is involved in a follow-up survey 1997/2000. A new project located in BIAD entitled "Working For Yourself? Self-employment in art and design" is currently being undertaken with our current students and graduates in association with Design Space 2000.
Contact: nick.stanley@bcu.ac.uk
Research: BIADResearch@bcu.ac.uk
BIAD, Birmingham City University, Gosta Green, Birmingham B4 7DX