Scottish Government

Chapter 8 Conclusions

Introduction

8.1 The findings given in this conclusion have been selected and interpreted to be of most interest and use, both from a research and policy perspective.

Socio-economic background

8.2 Compared to those not taking arts subjects, students taking arts subjects are:

• Slightly less likely to have a father in work;
• More likely to have a father in less skilled occupations than those not taking arts subjects; and
• Less likely to have a father employed in a professional or managerial job

8.3 Overall, young people taking arts subjects at school tend to come from lower socio-economic backgrounds compared to young people not taking arts subjects. This is also partly dependent on subject: those arts students studying graphic communication are more likely to come from higher socio-economic backgrounds than students of craft & design who tend to come from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

8.4 Parental background has a strong influence on the academic success of young people at school, their confidence and their later employability. Young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds tend to have lower levels of confidence, although those taking performing arts subjects (music and drama) demonstrate higher levels of confidence regardless of socio-economic background.

Link between subjects studied at school and later employability

8.5 Amongst young people leaving school at the earliest opportunity, employability is generally higher for those that had studied arts subjects. Students leaving school at an early stage having taken arts subjects are less likely to find themselves in a negative labour market position 3 years later compared to the average young person leaving school early.

8.6 Young people that had studied music or graphic communication are amongst the most employable of those that leave school at the earliest opportunity. This compares with employability amongst those that had studied art & design and drama which was poor, even compared to the average young person leaving school early.

8.7 In general, young people with high levels of confidence tend to be more employable after leaving school. For those studying arts subjects the link between confidence and later employability is less clear. Young people that study music and graphic communication demonstrate higher levels of confidence and employability whereas high levels of confidence among those studying drama do not translate into improved employability.

Link between subjects studied at school and later type of employment

8.8 Students taking arts subjects and leaving school at the earliest opportunity are significantly more likely to work in craft-related occupations. As time passes young people tend to move from craft and related jobs into other occupations. However, the migration is less marked for those that studied arts at school suggesting that young people studying arts subjects at school are more likely to enter craft and related jobs earlier and remain within the vocation longer.

8.9 The type of employment gained after leaving school for those that studied arts subjects tends to be in occupations requiring lower levels of skills compared to those that did not study arts subjects. However, when type of employment is controlled for the number of years spent in school, young people that studied arts subjects are no less likely to gain employment in highly skilled jobs in professional, managerial or technical areas.

Employability and type of employment of those students taking and those not taking arts subjects

8.10 When employability is controlled for the number of years spent in school, young people that studied arts subjects tend to have higher employability than those that did not study arts subjects. Young people who took 2 or more arts subjects at standard grade tend to have a higher rate of employment than those who took only 1 arts subject.

8.11 Students who leave school at the earliest opportunity to work are less likely to become unemployed later if they studied arts subjects at school. Early employment in craft-related occupations appears to offer relative security for young people taking arts subjects as they are less likely to lose their initial employment compared to school leavers who did not take arts subjects.

Students progressing to higher/further education and employment in creative industries

8.12 Young people, and in particular young men, taking arts subjects and leaving school at the earliest opportunity are among those least likely to progress to further or higher education after leaving school. However, they are also more likely to be in employment than those not taking arts subjects, suggesting that further or higher education may be a less appropriate option for this career route.

8.13 Studying more arts subjects increases the likelihood of young people working in the creative and cultural sector. Young people who took craft and design at standard grade are more likely to work in the creative and cultural sector than those taking the other arts subjects, whereas students taking music at standard grade are least likely to work in the creative or cultural sector.

Levels of confidence of those students taking and those not taking arts subjects

8.14 Young people who took arts subjects appear to be slightly less confident than those who did not take arts subjects. Confidence is influenced by socio-economic background and gender: young people from higher socio-economic backgrounds and young females have higher levels of confidence. Even after socio-economic background and gender are controlled for, young people who took arts subjects are still slightly less confident than those who did not take arts subjects.

8.15 Among students studying arts subjects, those studying drama and music appear to be most confident, and confidence among those who studied drama was higher than for young people who did not study any arts subjects. Those studying craft & design appear to be least confident although more employable than the average student, again suggesting a less than clear relationship between confidence and employability across different arts subjects.

8.16 Students whose father is a professional or manager are more confident than other students. The most confident students generally appear to be those who have not studied arts and whose father is in a professional or managerial job. However, students from lower socio-economic backgrounds ( e.g. those that take arts subjects) are likely to have less confidence but drama or music contributes to higher levels of confidence among these students.

8.17 In addition to demonstrating higher levels of confidence, young people from higher socio-economic backgrounds are more likely to enter professional or managerial jobs and enjoy higher salaries after leaving school. However, young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds gaining confidence at school are more likely to enjoy higher salaries and enter professional or managerial jobs than those that did not gain confidence at school.

Overall conclusions

8.18 Labour market outcomes and employability of young people who leave school at the earliest opportunity appear to be improved by studying arts subjects at school. Furthermore, young people who study arts are more likely to maintain employment, work in crafts and related jobs and are overall no less likely to work in highly skilled jobs compared to other young people that left school in the same year.

8.18 National Priorities issued by the Scottish Executive (2000b) outline outcomes underpinning each of the national priorities and provides progress measures. Progress towards the priority to equip pupils with foundation skills, attitudes and expectations to prosper, will be partly measured by the proportion of school leavers destined for employment, training and continuing education. The apparent improvement in labour market outcomes and employability of young people that studied arts subjects may therefore contribute towards the national priorities.

8.19 The Scottish Executive response on the Cultural Review (2006) places an emphasis on choice and flexibility to help Scotland's culturally talented young people . Our findings support this emphasis with a diverse range of career routes across arts subjects. Overall those taking arts subjects are less likely to progress to further or higher education after leaving school. Young people that studied arts subjects at school are more likely to enter employment with a higher proportion working in creative and cultural jobs compared to young people who did not study arts subjects.

8.20 In general young people who took arts subjects appear to be slightly less confident than those who did not take arts subjects, even after parental background and gender are controlled for. However, those studying drama and music appear to be more confident with confidence levels higher than young people who did not study any arts subjects, regardless of socio-economic background.

8.21 The clear link between drama and music and high levels of confidence is an important and positive finding. Arts students would be expected to have lower levels of confidence as they are more likely to come from lower socio-economic backgrounds. However, young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds gaining confidence at school, as demonstrated by drama or music students, are more likely to enjoy higher salaries and enter professional or managerial jobs.