FEATURE: MUSIC & THE PERFORMING ARTS
Hands-on experience: a game-changer for creative students
Students today have a wide range of higher education institutions, covering every conceivable course, to choose from. While some select a university based on considerations such as cost, others have emotional motivations, such as staying close to home. Many place a premium on academics, while gaining practical experience is a differentiating factor for others.
These days, another major consideration is employability – in a competitive job market, employers are increasingly looking for graduates with transferable workplace skills, meaning those whose education incorporated hands-on experience. This is another factor driving students’ choice.
As such, while they recognise the importance of theoretical knowledge, many students are now looking for higher education institutions that offer real-life practical experience, which can be the key differentiating factor to help them land a job once they graduate.
A
s the live events and creative industries boom, employers in the sector need new, highly trained individuals to meet the needs of the industry. As such, they are increasingly looking for graduates with transferable workplace skills. In our first feature this month looking at music and the performing arts Rachel Nicholson, Head of Institution at Backstage Academy, highlights the benefits of pursuing practical and immersive higher education.
This is particularly true for students interested in pursuing careers in the live events and creative industries, where most roles require specialist, practical, and technical skills and experience. In these industries, students can no longer afford to simply obtain theoretical knowledge; they must gain practice-oriented, hands-on training that will allow them to graduate with a high level of independence and competence.
Reality check Professional bodies and industry leaders often 32
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suggest there’s a mismatch between the theoretical knowledge students acquire at university and the skills they need to succeed after graduation. Additionally, although students often have a general idea about what a particular career is like, they don’t always understand what a typical day might actually entail. Tertiary institutions offering immersive practical experiences play a vital role as they not only enable students to get a taste for various roles to determine which one is right for them, but they also attempt to address the mismatch between theory and practice by ensuring they yield early career professionals – creative and critical thinkers who possess the academic, practical, technical and applied skills required by industry.
Benefits for students
Learning, especially at higher education level, is not a spectator sport. Students must talk about what they are learning, be exposed to different experiences, and apply their skills in practice rather than just listening to instructors and memorising facts. In fact, learning through hands- on methods has several advantages for students, including:
• Offering a safe environment: When studying, it is important to get a hands-on understanding of a subject and how the theory learned applies to real-life situations. Practical education is a rewarding way for students to explore and
November 2022
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