“Time to re-think education,” warns Equator’s creative chief
James Jefferson, chief creative officer and co-founder of integrated marketing agency Equator, has challenged the industry and the education sector to establish a more integrated, collaborative learning-path for those looking to enter the marketing industry.
Jefferson made the recommendations as he delivered the welcome speech at yesterday’s Creative & Cultural Skills annual conference, held at The Backstage Centre, Essex. Speaking on the subject of ‘Building a Creative Nation: The Next Decade’, Jefferson said the rethink must be agile in its approach and responsive to the demands of a rapidly evolving market place.
He said: “Creative thinking is going to become much more important to the economy as a driver of innovation throughout the next decade. However, if education is not radically rethought, we will seriously let down the next generation. By being more agile we can ensure that courses can be integrated with an increasingly diverse range of employment needs, while equipping young people in all sectors with the creative thinking they will need to build innovative new businesses.
“Together we need to move beyond linear ideas of vocational training toward a more integrated, collaborative model.”
Creative & Cultural Skills is an independent charity founded by employers in 2005 to support the skills needs of the creative and cultural industries. The charity works with a network of FE colleges and employers across the UK (the National Skills Academy) to increase the number of entry-level jobs and apprenticeships available, and to ensure that young people are graduating with the right skills to meet the needs of employers.
Jefferson, who spoke before Director-General of the BBC and founding chairman of Creative & Cultural Skills, Lord Tony Hall, believes the charity is already playing a pivotal role in delivering the required change, including creation of the the first government-backed National College for the Creative and Cultural Industries, at The Backstage Centre in Thurrock, scheduled to open in 2016.
Jefferson said: “The thing that really excites me is that Creative & Cultural Skills exists at the intersection of creative businesses, educational institutions and creative people – right where all this change is happening.
“Our starting point is that every creative individual in the country should be connected to business to create a more effortless transition to work. We are making progress in this objective and will continue to get our hands dirty, helping to make things simpler for everyone in setting-up apprenticeships, delivering more transparent funding models, supporting partnerships between businesses and education, and providing platforms for students to get a job in the career they love.”
Equator employs around 120 people at its studio in Glasgow and works with global brands including Disney, AXA Insurance, SSE, Tesco Bank and Malmaison.
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