Revitalizing apprenticeships
in the design education.
Overview
Design education is at a crossroads. Traditional methods of classroom-based study struggle to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Nearly 4 in 10 employers avoid hiring recent college graduates with 58% believing graduates are unprepared for the workforce. This begs the question of how we can transform design education. Historically, apprenticeships are known for providing hands-on skills and industry knowledge, often linked to vocational trades.
It is time to revolutionize apprenticeships, expanding their applications in partnership with higher education to create promising career opportunities.
The goal
Our goal is to empower career-focused development in students to become job-ready candidates whose skills and competencies exceed businesses’ expectations. By bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, our solution ensures that SCAD students gain practical industry experience alongside the excellence of SCAD’s teaching.
Pioneering the seamless integration of world-class degree programs with transformative apprenticeships will set a new standard for academic and industry partnerships.
Role
Design Researcher | Strategist | Visual Designer
Duration
10 Weeks (2024)
Team
6 students
Bridging a gap in Design education.
Skillsets used
Business Innovation
Qualitative Research
Industry and Market Research
Quantitative Research
User Research
Design Research
Visual Storytelling
UX Research
Data Visualization
Prototyping
Storyboarding
Interviews and Surveys
Business Strategy
Business Model Canvas
and More...
Understanding the problem
Design education is at a crossroads. Traditional methods of classroom-based study struggle to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Nearly 4 in 10 employers avoid hiring recent college graduates with 58% believing graduates are unprepared for the workforce. This begs the question of how we can transform design education. Historically, apprenticeships are known for providing hands-on skills and industry knowledge, often linked to vocational trades.
87.2%
Students believe gaining
real, industry experience alongside academic learning
is important for future career success.
74.5%
Undergraduate students have not participated in internships before or during their education.
> 90%
Students believe hands-on experience, mentorship, networking opportunities and skill development are important for career success.
Students would be likely to participate in a program that offers paid apprenticeships related to their major / field of interest.
53.2%
Students consider career services and internship opportunities offerings when choosing their university and programs.
Core insights
After conducting multiple interviews and collecting crucial qualitative and quantitative data from our participants, we synthesized our data to uncover 6 core insights that reflect the need for introducing opportunities of design apprenticeships within universities. Gaining real-world understanding and building valuable industry connections were some of the highlighted wants and needs of aspiring design students.
Synthesizing the data
After gathering information, we selected the Go-Getter archetype to further develop a comprehensive customer profile. We used primary research data to create a visual map (empathy map) while uncovering their needs, desires, challenges, and goals. These tools helped us organize the information and uncover key insights about our target audience.
The solution
LEARN BY DOING, EARN BY LEARNING.
Learn by doing, earn by learning.
SCADLearn partners with top-tier, leading professionals in the industry, offering a holistic approach to education. The renowned faculty and advisors provide personalized guidance and hard skills training, collaborating with industry experts who provide industry intelligence and soft skills development to SCAD's design student apprentices.
Design school students can engage in our alternative to traditional design four-year degree programs where they can earn more while they learn their craft resulting in job offers that require 1+ yrs of experience.
The video
Check out the video we created that encompasses all of SCADLearns benefits and how we are revitalizing apprenticeships in the design industry through the new venture!
Curious to know the details?
Are you interested in knowing more about the above deliverables and get into the details? Below are snippets of our strategies and a link to the compilation of this 10-week business case study.
The final pitch
Pitching the Idea: To increase the project's viability, we focused on integrating existing business operations, and employing conceptual models to translate ideas into tangible prototypes. Developing revenue strategies further strengthened the pitch, demonstrating the concept's potential for attracting investment and achieving real-world success.
