This document summarizes findings from a study on trends in craft education and training in the UK. It outlines the different stages and types of craft education from secondary school through higher education and community learning. It also analyzes data on participation rates which show declines in craft courses and learners across most stages from 2007/08 to 2011/12. Case studies highlight specific issues like the lack of craft education in schools, inadequate careers advice, and fewer foundation courses. Suggestions to address the challenges include advocating to incorporate craft into the STEM agenda, promoting the intrinsic value of craftsmanship, improving apprenticeship programs, and encouraging shared resources and collaboration across educational institutions.

1. Studying craft:
trends in craft
education and
training
Crafts Council
Registered Charity
Number 280956

2. Summary of the report findings

3. Approach to the study
• Covers all stages of formal education from the age of 16,
including community learning
• Analysis of secondary data for last five years (07/08 –
11/12), case studies to follow up on key questions
Stage Age range Typical qualifications
Key Stage 4 15–16 years old GCSEs
Key Stage 5 / 16–18 Further
Education
16–18 years old AS-levels, A-levels
Apprenticeships 16 years and over Intermediate Level, Advanced
Level and Higher Apprenticeships
Further Education (adults) 18 years and over Qualification and Credit
Framework units
Higher Education 18 years and over Foundation degrees, Bachelor
degrees, Masters, PhDs
Community Learning 19 years and over Qualification and Credit
Framework units

4. Definitions
• The material disciplines that the course
addresses:
Disciplines
General Craft Model Making
Ceramics Paper crafts
Glass Textiles
Furniture Toys and Instruments
Jewellery Wax crafts
Silversmithing Wood crafts
Metal crafts Animation

5. % change in courses by stage 07/08 – 11/12

6. Change in total craft learners
Note that at the time of publishing no KS4, KS5 and community learning
data was made available for 2011/12 by the Department for Education

7. % change in learners by stage 07/08 – 10/11

8. Comparing change – courses and learners
Note that this slide does not compare like for like data

9. Levels of participation 07/08 – 11/12
Stage 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12
Key Stage 4 360,900 338,800 316,700 290,500 ~
Key Stage 5 – School Sixth
Forms
52,900 57,000 57,900 51,100 ~
Key Stage 5 – FE 14,300 10,800 9,900 6,100 9,000
Adult FE 20,600 15,100 11,800 4,800 8,500
Adult employer-related FE 500 900 400 300 600
Apprenticeships 400 500 300 100 400
HE – undergraduate 18,000 18,600 19,400 19,700 20,300
HE – postgraduate 1,200 1,200 1,400 1,500 1,600
Community Learning 150,900 235,100 248,800 236,100 ~
Total 619,700 678,000 666,600 610,200 ~

10. Case studies
1 Decline in GCSE participation 7 Apprenticeships
2 Changes in educational
infrastructure - Academies
8 Links between stages in textiles
education
3 Changes in educational
infrastructure - Studio Schools
9 HE courses, employability & local
craft economy
4 Changes in educational
infrastructure – University
Technical Colleges
10 Student recruitment in craft
subjects at post grad level
5 Unitised courses 11 The viability of craft courses in HE
institutions
6 Adults and participation in FE
courses craft courses

11. Summary of the discussions at the
regional events

12. Key Themes
• The perception of craft
• Lack of clarity in funding for the future
• Removing resources of the physical space
• Inadequate careers advice
• Loss of vocational training
• Fewer foundation courses
Nb. In the following slides, comments in grey are quotes from participants

13. The perception of craft
Craft is considered in isolation and frequently portrayed separate to academia as a hobbyist
activity, rather than as a force which feeds into technology, industry and science. As a
result, parents and senior teachers often undervalue study of the arts. The renaissance in
craft plus the success of ventures such as the Crafts Council’s Power of Making exhibition
illustrate that there is a growing appreciation of craft within society, but this is not reflected
within education. There is disconnect between the burgeoning creative sector and the
route education policy is taking. We need to see ‘making’ as a discipline and articulate
more clearly the transferable skills you gain from working with materials.
How can we argue for the innate value of making as a discipline? Without that, its place in
the education system will always be at risk.
PLTS: Personal Learning & Thinking Skills. Advocated as a new way to connect subjects with
career. This may be a way to show how art, craft and design are applicable.
• Independent enquiry
• Team working
• Creative thinking
• Self-management
• Reflective learning
• Effective participation

14. Lack of clarity in funding for the future
Cost is the primary driver in short term decision making, whilst strategic
decisions are falling in line with the government’s STEM agenda and league
table subjects to ensure that further cuts do not mar provision. Ofsted, the
Research Excellence Framework and performance based assessment creates
an educational environment risk adverse to practice based work that is harder
to measure. Creativity defies the linear process and thus is not fostered if it
cannot be sufficiently measured and reported.
Value vs. costs: for crafts, is the problem it’s undervalued rather than too
expensive?
Practice based work has no link to REF. Hard to measure, therefore no money.
Tackle perception of craft/art/design not being “valued” or real, ‘just soft’
subjects at examination level.

15. Removing resources of the physical
space
Many schools are losing the equipment which is costly to upkeep as budgets
become tighter within arts funding. Shrinking resources makes it increasingly
difficult to enable students to study craft disciplines. As a result, students are
often reaching FE and HE level without having learnt the basics of making and
the reduction in Foundation courses is only widening the gap. Learning has
become predominately theoretic rather than developing the practical skills.
Teachers Alliances – schools could share. Simple structures could be put in
place. Look at existing practice.
Teachers role in offering bridge to sector… Need open doors.
Opportunities for schools to access craft practitioners, workshops and lectures
Do GCSE students and younger have enough access to materials, to tools, skills
and experimentation?

16. Inadequate careers advice
Schools are suffering from a reduced capacity for careers advice. In addition, many
parents are unfamiliar with the sector. There is little education around how a portfolio
career works in practice and no argument around the strength of craft as a career
decision. Emphasis needs to be place on the lifestyle that making allows and
examples given on how to use craft within other areas.
Use diverse and young practitioners to promote crafts as a career and creative sector
(and offering personal satisfaction and reward).
HE needs to build professional awareness into the course and get students to engage.
Communicate how portfolio and diverse careers work for arts/crafts graduates
Understanding what the detail of portfolio career means in practice: advocacy.

17. Loss of vocational training
Information on the National Apprenticeship Scheme complex website is not
easily accessible or encouraging towards microbusinesses and thus fails to
attract makers (who are frequently sole traders) to appreciate the advantages
of the scheme. It is essential that makers develop the knowledge to share
their skills and have access to resources that would enable adequate support
of a student. The links between professional makers within the sector and
young people need to be strengthened with the risks of engagement
minimised through tested ways of working that maximise potential for micro
businesses.
how can apprenticeships work for a sector dominated by sole-traders and
micro-businesses?

18. Fewer foundation courses
Students who choose to study craft at HE often enter with little-to-no
experience. In the absence of craft education in schools, the importance of
foundation courses was emphasised by Prof. Steve Dixon who advocated that
they are ‘an opportunity to explore mediums to establish your strengths, with
access to specialist knowledge.’

19. Suggestions
STEM should incorporate the arts and become
STEAM
Advocacy for the intrinsic values of
craftsmanship
Business Skills
Apprenticeships
Shared resources and good practice

20. STEM should incorporate the arts and
become STEAM
• Totality of education – not science vs the arts
• Engage with STEM agenda to communicate the
value of making
• Link haptic to the digital. Prove that craft is
forward thinking and innovative, that
digitalisation is linked to practice rather than one
precluding the other.
• Michael Gove’s speech referenced the connection
between making + digital agenda, science and
technology.

21. Advocacy for the intrinsic values of
craftsmanship
• Case studies in addition to career advice
• Emphasise why other sectors need people
with craft skills.
• “Filming craft can bring intangible things to
the surface which are hard to articulate into
words.” - Dr Amanda Ravetz. Make short films
on makers – both craft careerists and those
from other industries.

22. Business Skills
• Entrepreneurship education at GCSE and A-
level qualifications
• HE should build professional awareness into
courses

23. Apprenticeships
• Craft Trailblazer
• Extend the age range of apprentices entitled
to funding under NAS for those in micro
businesses.

24. Shared resources and good practice
• Sharing of creative spaces, opportunities to
meet/network and develop collaborations.
• HE students can take their craft back into
schools for both sides to benefit.
• Essential to show students that mistakes
count as learning: failure is formative. Making
will equip people to solve problems.