Definition of terms: Young People, Creative and Digital Industries and Entry-level
Definition of the term 'Young People'
In practice, the term ‘young people’ is used flexibly in across a range of sectors to indicate people of a wide range of ages. These include those under the age of 18 and/or still in compulsory schooling (even if over 18), those age 16-24 if in receipt of particular welfare benefits, age 15-24 is UNESCOs definition and the Commonwealth considers young people to be age 15-29.
For the purposes of the ELEBCIS project, the definition of the term ‘young people’ recognises the Commonwealth’s definition at the upper age limit, which enables the highest level of responsiveness to individual’s circumstances, and encompasses the plethora of alternative definitions used in practice by education and other community-based organisations when working with groups and individuals in formal and information education and training.
However, whilst the study explored barriers to employment for young people from the ages of 16-29 in line with the Commonwealth definition, interviews were also undertaken with young people below this age range (an additional five interviews were undertaken with young people outside this age group (at the lower end) to ensure that systemic and structural barriers which impact before this age were not excluded.
For the purposes of the ELEBCIS project, the definition of the term ‘young people’ recognises the Commonwealth’s definition at the upper age limit, which enables the highest level of responsiveness to individual’s circumstances, and encompasses the plethora of alternative definitions used in practice by education and other community-based organisations when working with groups and individuals in formal and information education and training.
However, whilst the study explored barriers to employment for young people from the ages of 16-29 in line with the Commonwealth definition, interviews were also undertaken with young people below this age range (an additional five interviews were undertaken with young people outside this age group (at the lower end) to ensure that systemic and structural barriers which impact before this age were not excluded.
Definition of the term 'Creative and Digital Industries'
Attempts to define the scope of the Creative and Digital Industries sectors for statistical purposes in the UK are ongoing; there is considerable disagreement about the range of job roles and arguably the range of sectors that are included/excluded from this definition. This remains subject to challenge from a range of organisations including Arts Council England and NESTA and is currently the focus of an ongoing consultation from DCMS at the time of submission of this report.1
However, for the purposes of the ELEBCIS project, both core-creative and non-creative roles in creative sector companies, and creative roles (e.g marketing or in-house design) in non-creative sector companies are considered to be employment opportunities in these sectors.
1 See Jurisson, 2007 for examples of the debates continuing in relation to the definition of these sectors.
However, for the purposes of the ELEBCIS project, both core-creative and non-creative roles in creative sector companies, and creative roles (e.g marketing or in-house design) in non-creative sector companies are considered to be employment opportunities in these sectors.
1 See Jurisson, 2007 for examples of the debates continuing in relation to the definition of these sectors.
Definition of the term 'Entry-level Employment'
One of the key findings of the project is that the definition of the term ‘Entry-Level’ is inconsistent. There is a lack of shared definition of what level this sort of role is actually at (and therefore what skills-set would be needed to access it).
The literature review (see Appendix 1) revealed that there is a lack of shared definition or understanding of the term ‘entry-level’ in these sectors, and in wider employment studies and related literature.
‘Far too little is known about the employment opportunities on the first rung of the economic ladder and about the individuals employed in these jobs.’ (Bennett: 1993)
A particular issue raised in the literature and related to recruitment practices in these (as well as other) sectors is that the use of the term ‘entry level’ is discouraged since, to some, it connotes an age rather than experience designation (EMBM: 2006), which raises issues for compliance with equalities and employment legislation which forbids discrimination on the basis of age.
So, whilst the use of the term is discouraged (ibid) it is not legislated against which means that it is used throughout the sector without clarity or a shared understanding of what the expected skillset for an employee at this level would be.
A number of examples from the literature which illustrate this lack of shared definition are detailed below:
‘This study examines the availability of entry level positions in academic libraries to better illuminate the status of the job market for current students and recent graduates of Library & Information Science programs.’ (Tewell: 2012)
‘….employers want hard-working entry-level employees with qualities such as good attendance, problem solving skills and good hygiene. An employee who will stay with the company after training and will work to please the customer is desired. These are the talents of the special needs student.’ (Tamasovich: 2002)
‘An entry level job is a position that does not require experience. Employers typically hire recent college graduates for entry level jobs. Training is typically provided by the company. [This is] also known as [a] college graduate job.’ (Doyle: 2012)
For different organisations entry-level is understood as meaning levels as disparate as postgraduate and research degree qualified entrants, graduate entrants, Post FE-level entrants, young people between 16-25, Post compulsory schooling level employees, those lacking any formal basic skills qualifications or training and those with severe learning difficulties.
At the outset of this study, for ELEBCIS the definition of an entry-level position was defined as:
Bottom-level employment in a firm which usually requires ordinary-level of education, training, and experience qualifications. It gives a recruit the benefit of a gainful occupation, opportunity to learn and gain experience, and serves as a steppingstone for higher-level jobs. (Business Dictionary: 2012)
This was defined to ensure that for the target group with whose opportunities this report is principally concerned – young people living in areas of the City of Bristol where youth unemployment is a particular challenge – the exploration of barriers and opportunities in these sectors would comment on opportunities for entry-level jobs were the start of a meaningful and sustainable career progression pathway, and not simply on opportunities for access to low-skilled work in these employment sectors which offer no opportunities for meaningful progression, or therefore for economic and/or social mobility.
So, the lack of shared definition of the term ‘entry level’ in relation to employment opportunities in these sectors could be considered to be a limitation in terms of the original aims of this study. However, this uncertainty has arguably led to an opportunity for a meaningful examination of the issues relevant for entry to sustainable employment opportunities in these sectors through engagement with a wide-range of individual’s and organisational definitions of entry-level employment in the creative and digital industries, which has opened out the scope of the project to examine a wider range of barriers and opportunities in these sectors.
Whilst the uncertainty of definitions of entry-level employment has been a useful means to develop the thinking in the project, and extremely useful in the resulting recommendations which highlighting the wide range of points at which there are potential entry-level opportunities into roles in these sectors, the immediate concern raised through this lack of shared definition is that despite the considerable activity taking place across the city in support of access to opportunities in the sectors, the joining up of opportunities and meaningful progression in the development of routes for young people into roles in the sector in the city are unclear and unlikely to be as effective as they could be. The lack of shared definition of the skills set and previous experience expected for an entry level employee role can be difficult for potential employees, employers, learning providers and those aspiring to work in these sectors to understand.
This has a considerable impact on the ability of all stakeholders to effectively plan or impact on increasing opportunities for the target group, and other young people seeking to develop careers in the Creative and Digital Sectors in the city.
For the purposes of the ELEBCIS project, the project definition was circulated to all stakeholders prior to interviews taking place. This raised one specific point that was unexpected. A number of stakeholders – all working in the formal education sector – deleted the initial project e-mail correspondence because they did not consider that entry-level (special needs’) students’ opportunities were a relevant topic for discussion (as they did not have any students in this category). Additionally, on meeting, all participants defined entry level from their perspectives and so the project took on the multiple ‘self-defined’ meanings of the terms across the wide range of sectors engaged with and used this to examine further the issues raised in accessing opportunities in these sectors – and the lack of similarity between the clear, defined and linear routes into the sectors proposed by careers and education sector information and the lived-experience of participants seeking employment in these sectors.
The literature review (see Appendix 1) revealed that there is a lack of shared definition or understanding of the term ‘entry-level’ in these sectors, and in wider employment studies and related literature.
‘Far too little is known about the employment opportunities on the first rung of the economic ladder and about the individuals employed in these jobs.’ (Bennett: 1993)
A particular issue raised in the literature and related to recruitment practices in these (as well as other) sectors is that the use of the term ‘entry level’ is discouraged since, to some, it connotes an age rather than experience designation (EMBM: 2006), which raises issues for compliance with equalities and employment legislation which forbids discrimination on the basis of age.
So, whilst the use of the term is discouraged (ibid) it is not legislated against which means that it is used throughout the sector without clarity or a shared understanding of what the expected skillset for an employee at this level would be.
A number of examples from the literature which illustrate this lack of shared definition are detailed below:
‘This study examines the availability of entry level positions in academic libraries to better illuminate the status of the job market for current students and recent graduates of Library & Information Science programs.’ (Tewell: 2012)
‘….employers want hard-working entry-level employees with qualities such as good attendance, problem solving skills and good hygiene. An employee who will stay with the company after training and will work to please the customer is desired. These are the talents of the special needs student.’ (Tamasovich: 2002)
‘An entry level job is a position that does not require experience. Employers typically hire recent college graduates for entry level jobs. Training is typically provided by the company. [This is] also known as [a] college graduate job.’ (Doyle: 2012)
For different organisations entry-level is understood as meaning levels as disparate as postgraduate and research degree qualified entrants, graduate entrants, Post FE-level entrants, young people between 16-25, Post compulsory schooling level employees, those lacking any formal basic skills qualifications or training and those with severe learning difficulties.
At the outset of this study, for ELEBCIS the definition of an entry-level position was defined as:
Bottom-level employment in a firm which usually requires ordinary-level of education, training, and experience qualifications. It gives a recruit the benefit of a gainful occupation, opportunity to learn and gain experience, and serves as a steppingstone for higher-level jobs. (Business Dictionary: 2012)
This was defined to ensure that for the target group with whose opportunities this report is principally concerned – young people living in areas of the City of Bristol where youth unemployment is a particular challenge – the exploration of barriers and opportunities in these sectors would comment on opportunities for entry-level jobs were the start of a meaningful and sustainable career progression pathway, and not simply on opportunities for access to low-skilled work in these employment sectors which offer no opportunities for meaningful progression, or therefore for economic and/or social mobility.
So, the lack of shared definition of the term ‘entry level’ in relation to employment opportunities in these sectors could be considered to be a limitation in terms of the original aims of this study. However, this uncertainty has arguably led to an opportunity for a meaningful examination of the issues relevant for entry to sustainable employment opportunities in these sectors through engagement with a wide-range of individual’s and organisational definitions of entry-level employment in the creative and digital industries, which has opened out the scope of the project to examine a wider range of barriers and opportunities in these sectors.
Whilst the uncertainty of definitions of entry-level employment has been a useful means to develop the thinking in the project, and extremely useful in the resulting recommendations which highlighting the wide range of points at which there are potential entry-level opportunities into roles in these sectors, the immediate concern raised through this lack of shared definition is that despite the considerable activity taking place across the city in support of access to opportunities in the sectors, the joining up of opportunities and meaningful progression in the development of routes for young people into roles in the sector in the city are unclear and unlikely to be as effective as they could be. The lack of shared definition of the skills set and previous experience expected for an entry level employee role can be difficult for potential employees, employers, learning providers and those aspiring to work in these sectors to understand.
This has a considerable impact on the ability of all stakeholders to effectively plan or impact on increasing opportunities for the target group, and other young people seeking to develop careers in the Creative and Digital Sectors in the city.
For the purposes of the ELEBCIS project, the project definition was circulated to all stakeholders prior to interviews taking place. This raised one specific point that was unexpected. A number of stakeholders – all working in the formal education sector – deleted the initial project e-mail correspondence because they did not consider that entry-level (special needs’) students’ opportunities were a relevant topic for discussion (as they did not have any students in this category). Additionally, on meeting, all participants defined entry level from their perspectives and so the project took on the multiple ‘self-defined’ meanings of the terms across the wide range of sectors engaged with and used this to examine further the issues raised in accessing opportunities in these sectors – and the lack of similarity between the clear, defined and linear routes into the sectors proposed by careers and education sector information and the lived-experience of participants seeking employment in these sectors.