2005:40 R
Classicism and bungy jumping. The experience industry and the need for artistic training
On the basis of the contents of the report it is possible to discern three basic issues that need to be addressed when discussing planning in the future. The first important question is “What?" rather than “How many?" - a question that concerns content rather than quantity. The second issue is the level at which training of this kind can most appropriately be offered and how higher education programmes can meet demands that are not met at lower levels of the educational system. It is important for programmes in higher education to distinguish themselves from other forms of training by their explicit academic or artistic grounding. Academic standards, combined with a breadth that can bridge the disciplinary distinctions between the social sciences, law and the fine arts can justify the involvement of the higher education institutions in these fields of study. At the same time the aims and goals of higher education must aspire to more than mere compliance with the needs of the labour market.
The last question is unavoidable and concerns the current system for the allocation of resources. This system means that the number of places offered is based mainly on what young people are interested in, which leads to a “surplus" with qualifications in popular fields such as these. It is obvious that the total number of individuals with training in the artistic or creative areas is larger than the labour market seems to need, even taking into account the extent to which they create their own labour market in some respects.
The National Agency for Higher Education would like to advocate clearer links between the establishment of new programmes and the number of jobs that can realistically exist in these sectors. Monitoring by the higher education institutions of the success of students in the labour market should be a self-evident service provided to applicants. The texts intended to attract students to apply for programmes need to contain more information about the labour market situation and also assessments of prospects in the near future.
Programmes in design
There are a large number of programmes in design or that combine design with some other subject and these generally attract many applicants. However, the pendulum seems to have reversed somewhat in this area both in terms of labour market needs and student demand. There are therefore good grounds for careful consideration before deciding on more programmes involving design and about the numbers to be admitted. Design is important, according to the opinions of the business sector, but at the same time “design awareness" is high, as is the supply of qualified designers. Examples of the skills that are attractive on the labour market at the moment, on the other hand, are those provided by programmes that combine design with engineering.
Media programmes
The labour market prospects for those completing media programmes are very uncertain and there is great competition for the jobs on offer. The overall changes for these programmes in recent years is also shown by a slight decline in the number of applicants for the places offered. Representatives of the sector claim that there were far too many programmes that were unable to meet the new demands. The new jobs that media developments give rise to require not only those with media training. The new needs are most likely to have a tangible impact on programmes in engineering and finance and a shift in their content to include greater focus on the media sector could benefit both students and the labour market.
Programmes in music and dramatic art
In music and dramatic art qualified staff will not necessarily be needed for creative activities either. Nor is there any explicit need for new programmes that teach how to produce or perform music or dramatic art. In the sphere of popular culture there is a specific labour market in which networks of creators and enthusiasts have great experience and important contacts. It is more unusual in this vocational area to find graduate skills in finance, marketing and law - combined with knowledge about the way in which specific sectors function and their characteristic features. The National Council for Cultural Affairs (Kulturrådet) has drawn attention to the great need of dance producers - a profession for which no basic programmes are offered in higher education.
Programmes in tourism, hotel and restaurant management
There are no forecasts relating to the supply of those with qualification in tourism but this is a field in which the number of higher education programmes - and the number of graduates - has increased rapidly in recent years. At the same a large number of advanced vocational training programmes (KY-utbildningar) focusing on tourism and hotel and restaurant management have been developed. This is a field in which there is every reason to base planning discussions on the situation in the sector as a whole and above all on studies of what labour market needs really look like.
Programmes for the digital game industry
There are a large number of programmes in this area both in higher education and at other levels. The number of places offered exceeds the needs of the industry in Sweden while at the same time the international labour market is large. Rapid technical developments in this area make it very difficult to determine the long-term stable requirements that higher education programmes should be based on.
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