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The Tip of the Iceberg: The Transferability of Arts and Design Skills. Branching Out Series. Part Two

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Title: The Tip of the Iceberg: The Transferability of Arts and Design Skills. Branching Out Series. Part Two
Language: English
Authors: Aisha Motlani, Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC), Arts Alliance Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Fine and Applied Arts (FAA), University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts
Source: Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative, Discovery Partners Institute. 2025.
Availability: Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, State of Illinois for Discovery Partners Institute. 200 South Wacker Drive, 20th Floor, Chicago, IL 60304. Tel: 217-766-6779; e-mail: IWERC@mx.uillinois.edu; Web site: https://dpi.uillinois.edu/applied-research/iwerc/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 30
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Career Choice, Artists, College Graduates, Art Education, Job Skills, Employment Potential, Transfer of Training, Communication Skills, Emotional Intelligence, Problem Solving, Creative Activities, Thinking Skills, Innovation, Learning, Gender Differences, Intellectual Disciplines, Needs
Geographic Terms: Illinois
Abstract: In 2023, around 150 thousand students in the U.S. graduated with degrees in the arts. Given the well-documented challenges facing arts graduates in securing well paid and stable jobs in their industry and the mounting costs of higher education, why do so many students choose this path (Bennet, 2009; Frenette and Ocejo, 2019; Morgan et al., 2013)? What do artists and arts graduates feel they gain from their experience or training in disciplines such as theater, dance, graphic design, music, and art history? This report explores the value individuals place on their artistic training and experiences. It is part of the Branching Out Series that uses in-depth interviews and surveys to learn about the pathways and experiences of Illinois artists and arts graduates who are working in fields outside the arts. Building upon the first series report, which looked at the push and pull factors prompting artists and arts graduates to pursue non arts occupations (Motlani, 2025), the present paper asks how those working in non-arts occupations perceive and describe the skills they have gained from their arts training or experiences and how these skills transfer to sectors and occupations outside the arts. As the interview participant cited in the epigraph puts it, artistic credentials or training are just the tip of the iceberg. This report explores the skills and experiences undergirding them. It also briefly explores the gaps artists and arts graduates describe in their training. [This research is funded by the Illinois Creative Workforce Partnership, a collaboration between Discovery Partners Institute, Arts Alliance Illinois, the College of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts at the University of Illinois Chicago.]
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED679317
Database: ERIC
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  Data: The Tip of the Iceberg: The Transferability of Arts and Design Skills. Branching Out Series. Part Two
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Aisha+Motlani%22">Aisha Motlani</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Illinois+Workforce+and+Education+Research+Collaborative+%28IWERC%29%22">Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Arts+Alliance+Illinois%22">Arts Alliance Illinois</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22University+of+Illinois+at+Urbana-Champaign%2C+College+of+Fine+and+Applied+Arts+%28FAA%29%22">University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Fine and Applied Arts (FAA)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22University+of+Illinois+Chicago+%28UIC%29%2C+College+of+Architecture%2C+Design%2C+and+the+Arts%22">University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts</searchLink>
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  Data: Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, State of Illinois for Discovery Partners Institute. 200 South Wacker Drive, 20th Floor, Chicago, IL 60304. Tel: 217-766-6779; e-mail: IWERC@mx.uillinois.edu; Web site: https://dpi.uillinois.edu/applied-research/iwerc/
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  Data: In 2023, around 150 thousand students in the U.S. graduated with degrees in the arts. Given the well-documented challenges facing arts graduates in securing well paid and stable jobs in their industry and the mounting costs of higher education, why do so many students choose this path (Bennet, 2009; Frenette and Ocejo, 2019; Morgan et al., 2013)? What do artists and arts graduates feel they gain from their experience or training in disciplines such as theater, dance, graphic design, music, and art history? This report explores the value individuals place on their artistic training and experiences. It is part of the Branching Out Series that uses in-depth interviews and surveys to learn about the pathways and experiences of Illinois artists and arts graduates who are working in fields outside the arts. Building upon the first series report, which looked at the push and pull factors prompting artists and arts graduates to pursue non arts occupations (Motlani, 2025), the present paper asks how those working in non-arts occupations perceive and describe the skills they have gained from their arts training or experiences and how these skills transfer to sectors and occupations outside the arts. As the interview participant cited in the epigraph puts it, artistic credentials or training are just the tip of the iceberg. This report explores the skills and experiences undergirding them. It also briefly explores the gaps artists and arts graduates describe in their training. [This research is funded by the Illinois Creative Workforce Partnership, a collaboration between Discovery Partners Institute, Arts Alliance Illinois, the College of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts at the University of Illinois Chicago.]
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 30
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Career Choice
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Artists
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Graduates
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      – SubjectFull: Art Education
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      – SubjectFull: Job Skills
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      – SubjectFull: Employment Potential
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      – SubjectFull: Transfer of Training
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      – SubjectFull: Communication Skills
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      – SubjectFull: Emotional Intelligence
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      – SubjectFull: Problem Solving
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Creative Activities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Thinking Skills
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      – SubjectFull: Innovation
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      – SubjectFull: Learning
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      – SubjectFull: Gender Differences
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      – SubjectFull: Intellectual Disciplines
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      – SubjectFull: Needs
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      – SubjectFull: Illinois
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: The Tip of the Iceberg: The Transferability of Arts and Design Skills. Branching Out Series. Part Two
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              Y: 2025
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