The Right Skills: Celebrating Skills in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

The British Academy’s Skills project has sought to articulate and celebrate the skills gained through studying arts, humanities and social sciences (AHSS), and to lead a high-level debate about the value of these skills to the individual, to society and to the economy.

Despite the uncertain future ahead for the economy and labour market, high-skilled jobs will become increasingly essential to guarantee the UK’s success. Demand is growing for individuals to be equipped with higher level skills which they can deploy in different contexts, whether in a career which may cross many sectors of employment or within a research community which is increasingly interdisciplinary. Improving the UK skills base is critical to increasing productivity and meeting the challenges created by the decision to leave the EU and the constantly changing world of work.

The Academy believes the arts, humanities and social sciences provide a rich context for the development of higher level skills and lifelong learning that will allow the workforce of the future to cope, adapt and thrive.

The report looks at how these skills are taught, learnt and applied in society, drawing on existing evidence and generating new evidence through commissioned research. It includes recommendations of areas for further action which will set the agenda for the Academy’s programme of work on skills to 2020, but also create a context for developing new partnerships with policy makers, organisations and businesses across the sector.

We believe there has never been a better time for government, businesses and education professionals to work together to rise to the challenge of creating the highly-qualified workforce of the future and delivering a modern industrial strategy.

The full portfolio of evidence that underpinned this report is available to download here.