Member Article

Creative careers service gets a gold star

A programme enabling secondary school and sixth form students to put national curriculum subjects into a creative context to help better inform career choices is being hailed by our region which has led to schools accessing match funding from the North Tyneside Learning Trust (NTLT).

Founded in 2008, This Is Creative Enterprise (TICE) exists to show students how a career in a creative industry such as fashion, music and digital can be a rewarding one and how it works in conjunction with core STEM subjects that they are studying.

The most popular integrated support option is the TICE Programme, which teaches students to explore what is on their doorsteps in terms of career choices and progression routes surrounding creative sectors.

In excess of 700 students have already benefitted from the TICE Programme, with many having gone on to do in internships at various creative businesses in the North East and beyond. It is estimated that with the help of funding from NTLT to schools in North Tyneside, a further 400 children will be helped by the programme this educational year.

Jennifer Barrett, managing director at TICE, said: “Historically creative subjects have had a certain stigma surrounding them with a lot of people thinking that a career in a creative sector is deemed as soft, uneducated and poorly paid, this is simply not the case. The creative scene, particularly in the North East, is booming and it’s such a fruitful and varied career option that it’s about time we all start taking this career route seriously.

“We are thrilled that NTLT has enabled schools to access funding for our programme, we are now in a position to roll it out to all secondary schools in North Tyneside so more and more students can benefit.

“The way we help is to show students the scope of job roles available in the North East that would be classed as creative, these range from mass communication roles to fashion marketing to design and illustration to music production. This way students get an in-depth look at what specific skills they need to acquire to be suitable for such roles.

“As we know, employers complain of skills shortages nationwide so this is one way of decreasing the gap as students are being a lot more precise when it comes to choosing their degree subject or they opt for an apprenticeship.

“TICE isn’t just careers advice, it is a way of thinking; we aim to educate students in a very practical way. We show them what is out there now, and get them questioning what this scene could look like in five or ten years’ time as it is forever changing, with the rise in digital careers.”

Kehri Ellis, chief executive at NTLT said: “Several schools participated in the TICE programme last year and the feedback was so incredibly positive that we have offered to part fund the cost of TICE. We hope that by offering some match funding, this will encourage all North Tyneside secondary schools to take part this year.”

Burnside Business & Enterprise College is one of the schools that enlists the help of TICE and has seen student confidence sky rocket following the creative guidance.

Julie Thompson, assistant head teacher at Burnside High School said: “We have taken part in the TICE programme for the last five years giving our Year 10 students the opportunity to develop their skills, insight and knowledge in a vast range of creative industries. The career opportunities within these industries which play a major role in the economy of the North East and beyond.

“The value the programme gives our students extends well beyond their initial involvement in this programme which sees many of our students engaging in work experience and internships with TICE and the array of contacts they make whilst being involved in exciting challenges and working to real life briefs.”

TICE is currently rolling out its Bronze Workshops throughout the North East, these involve one day introductory creative enterprise workshops in each school. If you are interested in learning more please visit: www.thisiscreativeenterprise.com

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jodie Balmer .