School-based Enterprise and School-to-work Transitions in Art Vocations

A survey of the Ghanaian industry landscape reveals that there are inadequate industries into which visual art graduates would fit. The inadequacy presents vast opportunities that could be explored if schools prepare graduates adequately to enter into art-based enterprises. A school environment promoting school-to-work experiences in creative arts has not been explored. Therefore a study was conducted on the concept of School-Based Enterprises and how effective they are in promoting work experiences in visual art vocations to equip graduates with skills for employment in future. An aspect of the creative arts that embrace art, media and technology are fashion, textiles and their associated businesses. Sixty entrepreneurs in fashion, textiles and related industries were interviewed to gather data on Practical Business Skills that compliment their technical skills to enable them run successful enterprises and how these competencies can be co-opted into formal school curricula. Based on the responses, case study projects were carried out with one hundred and sixty (160) HND Fashion and Textiles students in Kumasi Polytechnic. The findings were that knowledge and production skills alone do not create jobs (i.e. conjure materials, products and markets). Productive learning useful for employment comes by reinforcing students' learning (knowledge and technical skills) with work experiences and practical business competencies in school that conform to the tenets of their vocations. The research revealed that this is achievable through the concept of school-based enterprises. Therefore to create sustainable jobs in the creative arts industries it must be realized that technical skills in art and business training must co-exist to make it beneficial to creative art graduates.