It's a beautiful September morning and I have just driven my wife to work. You know its September merely by putting the car radio on and being confronted by the consent commercials (pleas) from local colleges for new course enrolment. Yes the academic year is almost upon them again and a myriad of individuals will be debating the pros and cons of either continuing their education or potentially retraining/seeking a new career path or merely looking for some development of a leisure pursuit.
But most (those of unfortunately past the magically age of 19) will be in for a bit of surprise this year - the colleges don't want you!
I see a raised eye brow or two, but the truth is out there or rather in the new shiny prospectuses. This year's quota of adult of education courses, in particular, vocational art subjects is woefully small and in some cases non-existent. But why would anyone want to cut potential educational support for a whole tranche of people who only sin is not to be 'externally youthful' and now face little hope of retraining or re-skilling at a reasonable cost.
The new prospectuses now seem almost void this year of level 1/2/3 courses which have fuelled and help develop a generation of talent, and the much advertised apprenticeships in the creative arts seem almost to be window dressing on the death-knell of creative education. Upon a search of the government apprenticeship website last week, I found only 4 photography related vacancies available nationally - and certainly no mention of an assisting vacancy....
For those who do bite the bullet, and opt for for the few higher level courses left in the Birmingham, they are faced with higher course costs, poor resources and dramatically reduced contact hours with their tutors.
What perplexes me, is there no mention in the media about these swinging cuts to adult education and the direction of colleges in relation to re-training and supporting the creative industries, particularly in the Birmingham area. I already know the views of a couple of senior educators in Birmingham towards my own profession but it now alarms me that these acidic views now seems to be spreading to other key creative sectors.
So it seemed quite apt to me, when the next tune (record for us old farts) came on the radio after the college ad that it should be 'Mirror in the Bathroom'..................
Richard Southall
www.emphasis.biz
www.richardsouthall.co.uk
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