SHAPE Skills

The British Academy undertakes a range of work to drive skills development for the UK workforce through our disciplines, and highlight the contribution these skills make to the economy and society.

Our skills programme aims to identify and articulate the skills inherent to the study of arts, humanities and social sciences, and to demonstrate their value to individuals, society and the economy. We seek to build the evidence base about the employment outcomes for graduates of our disciplines, showing that they are as likely to be employed as those from STEM subjects, and are valued by employers across a wide range of sectors. The nature of the skills developed through the study of arts, humanities and social sciences mean that individuals are flexible, able to change roles and demonstrate resilience to economic changes. We consider future demand for skills and how our graduates are prepared to meet this need.

Other areas of work look to better incorporate quantitative skills with our disciplines, improve career and subject choice guidance for those looking to study arts, humanities and social sciences, and highlight the essential role of modern language skills to the UK.