Higher Education and the screen industries in the UK: the need for authentic collaboration for student progression and the talent pipeline.

Abstract

The relationship between the UK’s screen industries and its Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) is frequently claimed to be important for creating a sustainable talent pipeline for this sector. Yet little significant advancement has been made over many years. This position paper explores the persistent barriers to effective partnership, identifying and expounding six myths that undermine progress in this area. These are that: ‘universities exist primarily to serve the needs of employers’; ‘the screen industries do not require a graduate workforce’; ‘media work specifically requires media graduates’; ‘the value of a media degree is determined by how well it prepares students for entry-level media jobs’; ‘practice-based and “practical” courses exist to produce “set-ready” graduates for specific industry roles’; and ‘universities are a barrier to industry diversity’. The authors deconstruct each of these in turn arguing that they represent fundamental misunderstandings about the nature of these sectors. Successful collaboration must be built on mutual respect and understanding between HEIs and industry, recognising their distinct roles. The article concludes by posing questions about how to develop a sustainable, national vision for effective collaboration, acknowledging the need for local initiatives and recognising systemic issues within the industry's current employment model.