Skills needs assessment
for the arts and crafts sector

Despite the importance of creative SMEs for the EU economy, it is difficult to retrieve transnational evidence of the needs surrounding the arts and crafts sector, in particular those connected to skills, which are evolving at an exponential pace. This report tackles this gap using a mixed method approach. In doing so, it draws on evidence from MOSAIC – Mastering job-Oriented Skills in Arts & crafts thanks to Inclusive Centres of vocational excellence – an Erasmus+ project exploring how the arts, crafts and design sectors can respond more accurately to new emerging social needs and changes.

The research was conducted in 6 countries (France, Italy, Finland, Bulgaria, Canada, Armenia) by combining results of an online, structured questionnaire targeting 290 arts and crafts businesses in partner countries and 6 focus groups organised in MOSAIC partner countries and involving 36 business representatives. Collected data was analysed deploying statistical analysis in combination with qualitative coding; results address both current and future skill needs.

Findings suggest that although arts and crafts businesses have a real interest in social inclusion, digitalisation and sustainability topics, they face a series of challenges in operationalizing them, partly because they are often confronted with paradoxes and conflicting junctions. These can be tackled by developing specific skills connected to: self-development (e.g. versatility, flexibility, autonomy, self-criticism, lifelong learning, perseverance and proactive mindset), work-value relation (e.g. motivation, will, curiosity, punctuality), entrepreneurship (e.g. change management and creative entrepreneurship), digitalisation (e.g. digital literacy and digital intelligence) and cooperation and collaboration (e.g. relational abilities).

In conclusion, the study provides empirical evidence of the importance of building integrated skill sets that combine personal and technical abilities in order to further build on the adaptation capacity and resilience of future entrepreneurs and workers. The limitations of this study are present in the form of the high levels of uncertainty regarding future developments, as well as in the limited geographical reach and sample size.