Analysing Earnings from Creative Education and Creative Work: Decomposing University, Industry and Social Inequalities.
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Sch of Social and Political Science
Abstract
Since 2018 analysis of the Longitudinal Educational Outcomes (LEO) dataset, a linked administrative dataset created by the UK government, have estimated the "returns" to higher education - the difference in income for graduates, compared to those that don't attend University, and variations in graduate incomes according to the kind of institution that they attend, their personal characteristics (gender, age, ethnicity and socio-economic status), and the subject(s) that they study. Many of the analyses reported that, on average, graduates of creative arts degrees (including art and design, performing arts and media studies) had only a small "graduate premium" in earnings compared to similar people who had not attended University, or at least less than graduates in other subjects.
This topic is of considerable policy interest, both for Higher Education and also Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) Policy. Creative education in the UK is highly-regarded internationally, and these degrees are seen as routes into work in CCIs, which saw job numbers increasing by three times the rate of employment in the UK between 2011 and 2019. In 2023 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport specified the contrast being the buoyancy of the CCIs and the lower earnings of creative graduates as an Area of Research Interest.
This fellowship will use the second iteration of the LEO dataset for a focused analysis of creative education and creative employment. This new version of LEO now offers data on earnings linked to industry of employment, which creates an opportunity to examine whether lower creative graduate earnings are associated with work within CCIs, in Education (a common destination for creative graduates) or elsewhere. Additionally, previous studies found that many in creative occupations had not studied creative subjects: there is strong interest both from scholars and from policymakers to understand the educational routes into creative employment. The policy relevance of this fellowship is urgent, given suggestions that the government should reduce the number of places on degrees that did not offer high graduate earnings, cuts by DoE that predominantly affect creative arts degrees, and announcements of programme closures by Birkbeck, Goldsmiths others, largely in the creative arts.
This fellowship will analyse earnings of creative graduates, and of creative workers, to address the relationship between degree subject, institution, and industry of employment, as well as social inequalities, in explaining different earnings outcomes. This will be triangulated against the Labour Force and Annual Population Surveys, which capture information on workforce and employment characteristics. The fellowship benefits from two mentors: Professor Cristina Iannelli, an internationally regarded expert in social stratification in education and the labour market, graduate outcomes and the impact of subject choices in education; and Dr Will Cook, an economist and former government adviser with expertise in the analysis of educational outcomes.
The fellowship builds on, and contributes to, the Fellow's broader research on inequalities and social mobility in the creative economy. As co-author of the book "Culture is bad for you" she has expertise in how social class background, education and social networks are involved in success in creative careers. Building on this work, this fellowship will make a significant and innovative contribution to understanding of social and educational inequalities in creative work, according to levels of pay, and will help to ensure that the sector is a rewarding workplace for all.
This topic is of considerable policy interest, both for Higher Education and also Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) Policy. Creative education in the UK is highly-regarded internationally, and these degrees are seen as routes into work in CCIs, which saw job numbers increasing by three times the rate of employment in the UK between 2011 and 2019. In 2023 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport specified the contrast being the buoyancy of the CCIs and the lower earnings of creative graduates as an Area of Research Interest.
This fellowship will use the second iteration of the LEO dataset for a focused analysis of creative education and creative employment. This new version of LEO now offers data on earnings linked to industry of employment, which creates an opportunity to examine whether lower creative graduate earnings are associated with work within CCIs, in Education (a common destination for creative graduates) or elsewhere. Additionally, previous studies found that many in creative occupations had not studied creative subjects: there is strong interest both from scholars and from policymakers to understand the educational routes into creative employment. The policy relevance of this fellowship is urgent, given suggestions that the government should reduce the number of places on degrees that did not offer high graduate earnings, cuts by DoE that predominantly affect creative arts degrees, and announcements of programme closures by Birkbeck, Goldsmiths others, largely in the creative arts.
This fellowship will analyse earnings of creative graduates, and of creative workers, to address the relationship between degree subject, institution, and industry of employment, as well as social inequalities, in explaining different earnings outcomes. This will be triangulated against the Labour Force and Annual Population Surveys, which capture information on workforce and employment characteristics. The fellowship benefits from two mentors: Professor Cristina Iannelli, an internationally regarded expert in social stratification in education and the labour market, graduate outcomes and the impact of subject choices in education; and Dr Will Cook, an economist and former government adviser with expertise in the analysis of educational outcomes.
The fellowship builds on, and contributes to, the Fellow's broader research on inequalities and social mobility in the creative economy. As co-author of the book "Culture is bad for you" she has expertise in how social class background, education and social networks are involved in success in creative careers. Building on this work, this fellowship will make a significant and innovative contribution to understanding of social and educational inequalities in creative work, according to levels of pay, and will help to ensure that the sector is a rewarding workplace for all.
