Careers Rewired
Learning Resource

A resource with case studies exploring ways to develop students’ knowledge of creative careers and fusion skills. Aimed at Key Stage 4 students.

Photo: Matthew Kaltenborn

Photo: Matthew Kaltenborn

Our Careers Rewired project brought together teachers, creative practitioners and employers to co-design a project-based learning programme that inspired Key Stage 4 students from three schools around career opportunities in the creative industries. Partnering with leading employers from the creative industry: Mixcloud, Double M Films and Guildhall Live Events, we supported the development of new collaborative partnerships between schools, artists, and employers – the aim being to address significant skills shortages for creative industry jobs by providing clear careers information and skills guidance.

On this page you’ll find a downloadable learning resource that outlines three case studies from the project, providing example exercises for developing students’ fusion skills, and tips for this way of working.

Watch

Learning Resource

Browse or download the Careers Rewired resource, filled with advice, case studies and practical exercises for your class.

Creating Careers Rewired

We worked with City of London Academy Highgate Hill, City of London Academy Islington and Sydney Russell School as part of the project. Teachers from drama, performing arts, and design technology departments, collaborated with artists Youngsook Choi, Endy Mckay, Phillipa Longson, and Torri Stewart to design a creative brief for a series of workshops, through which students could develop knowledge and experience of the creative sector. In each school, a partnership of one teacher, one artist facilitator, and one creative industry employer developed six project-based learning workshops responding to the brief and exploring creative, technical, educational, and emotional skills - the ‘fusion skills’ needed for 21st century success.

During the process students, artists, employers, and teachers visited the Barbican’s cutting-edge AI: More Than Human exhibition; schools visited employers’ workplaces; six co-devised and co-facilitated workshops took place in each school and all partners attended a ‘pitch event’ at the Barbican where students presented on the question 'why should you be employed over a robot?'

Students directly engaged with employers and learned from them about ‘hidden’ jobs, career opportunities, and the most relevant pathways in their education to progress into different creative industries.

100% of teachers surveyed about Careers Rewired agreed or strongly agreed that ‘This project will inform and innovate methods of classroom learning’.

Photo: Matthew Kaltenborn

Photo: Matthew Kaltenborn

Fusion Skills

Fusion skills can be defined as a mix of technical and creative skills that people will need to thrive in the ever-changing 21st century workplace. Listed below are the fusion skills rated most highly by employers according to the 2019 report, Transferable Skills in the Workplace, commissioned by the City of London:

  1. Oral communication/presentation skills
  2. Collaboration/teamwork
  3. Initiative
  4. Problem solving
  5. Organisational skills
  6. Adaptability/flexibility
  7. Independent working/autonomy
  8. Written communication
  9. Critical thinking
  10. Resilience
  11. Creativity
  12. Analysis/evaluation skills

Photo: Matthew Kaltenborn

Photo: Matthew Kaltenborn

Photo: Matthew Kaltenborn

Photo: Matthew Kaltenborn

Photo: Matthew Kaltenborn

Photo: Matthew Kaltenborn

Acknowledgements

Learning Resource
Words by Youngsook Choi, Endy Mckay and Torri Stewart; Design by Misfit

Film
Mountain Way Pictures

About The Edge Foundation

Careers Rewired was generously supported by The Edge Foundation. Edge is an independent education foundation which through its projects, research, policy, and campaign work, strives to make education relevant. The world is changing fast – education needs to keep up. Edge believes that all young people need to be equipped with the skills that today’s global, digital economy demands, through high-quality training, a broad and balanced curriculum, interactive and engaging real-world leaning, and rich relationships between education and employers. Edge gather evidence through research, trials, and projects on the ground and use this to lead the debate around future policy and practice.

About Barbican Guildhall Creative Learning

Barbican Guildhall Creative Learning is a creative alliance pioneering new models for cultural learning across the art forms. Our mission is Creative Skills for Life and every year we deliver more than 40 programmes and events alongside 150 partners to over 22,000 participants.