Article 2022

Developing policy aimed at 21st-century digital skills for the creative industries: an interview study with founders and managing directors

Journal of Education and Work
Journal · Vol. 35 · Issue 2 · pp. 195-209
Abstract

The creative industry is a sector where digitisation inevitably changes work practices and the skill requirements are high. The rapid digitisation makes it imperative for workers to acquire digital skills beyond mere technical use. The aim of this study is twofold: (1) to offer a deeper analysis of the nature and level of 21st-century digital skills and (2) to explore the roles of both individual workers and organisations in skill development. In total, 24 interviews were conducted with founders and managing directors of creative organisations based in the Netherlands. The results show that they believe that workers’ technical skill levels are naturally high; while in fact, digital skills might require attention when content-related aspects are considered. The first priority in this case should be to raise awareness within an organisation’s management. Thereafter, intentional and structural efforts on the part of individual workers and organisations are needed to improve skill development practices in the workplace. © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Skill development Digital Skills interviews 21st-century skills creative industries

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
Department of Communication Science, Universiteit Twente, Enschede, Overijssel, Netherlands
Funding & Acknowledgements
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, NWO
This work was supported by NWO the national research council of the Netherlands (grant number: 409-15-214).
Grant: 409-15-214
This work was supported by NWO the national research council of the Netherlands (grant number: 409-15-214).
References 10 References
1 Alcácer, Juan, Internationalization in the information age: A new era for places, firms, and international business networks?, Journal of International Business Studies, 47, 5, pp. 499-512, (2016)
2 Ashton, Daniel, Creative work careers: pathways and portfolios for the creative economy, Journal of Education and Work, 28, 4, pp. 388-406, (2015)
3 Digitalisation Jobs and Convergence in Europe Strategies for Closing the Skills Gap, (2016)
4 Bettiol, Marco, The role of community of practice in developing creative industry projects, International Journal of Project Management, 29, 4, pp. 468-479, (2011)
5 Journal of Strategic Innovation and Sustainability, (2019)
6 Billett, Stephen Richard, Learning through work: Emerging perspectives and new challenges, Journal of Workplace Learning, 25, 4, pp. 264-276, (2013)
7 Braun, Virginia, Using thematic analysis in psychology, Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 2, pp. 77-101, (2006)
8 Australian Career Practitioner Magazine, (2011)
9 Bridgstock, Ruth, Social connectedness and graduate employability: exploring the professional networks of graduates from business and creative industries, Higher Education and the Future of Graduate Employability: A Connectedness Learning Approach, pp. 70-89, (2019)
10 Skills Talent and Diversity in the Creative Industries, (2019)
Quick Actions
Full Text via DOI
Citation Metrics
22
Times Cited (Scopus)

References 10
Document Identifiers