There was a time when a high school diploma was the norm (and at some times and in some parts of the US, even that was exceptional) and a college degree was a pretty unique thing. The idea of a master's was pretty remote for many, and PhDs were restricted to professors.
These days, though, the idea of a bachelor's degree as the norm is pretty common. For many employers and employees, simply finishing high school isn't enough. The question they should be asking, though, is whether requiring a bachelor's degree means they'll get better employees. When it comes to Creatives, that's not always the case.
First of all, what is the purpose of a bachelor's degree? In most cases, particularly a bachelor of arts, it isn't designed to help you master a particular subject...that's why we have master's degrees. The real purpose of a bachelor's is "to learn how to learn." Believe me, I didn't really understand this until I went on to my master's degree (and I didn't fully understand the purpose of a master's until I got my PhD, which suggests I might not truly understand the purpose of my doctorate since there's nothing to get beyond that).
Now, this means a bachelor's can be very useful in a field where your function is to create something from scratch, whether it's art, or knowledge, or code for a video game, or what have you. People who are creating something new should have the ability to learn from history and to learn from their mistakes, and also to explore emerging ideas that they hear about. But as an employer you're also looking for technical skills, and for that you don't necessarily need a bachelor's, at least, not in a creative field.
What are some other options? Well...
Associate's degrees Community colleges have come a long way in the last few years. A 2-year associate's degree program will often include instructors who have a large amount of practical experience rather than the theoretical background of a university, but that may be just what you need. Your Creatives will be counting on their instructors to teach them technical aspects such as how to use the important aspects of Adobe software, or a computer language, or proper lighting for video or photography work. What they won't be learning is how to be creative, but can anyone really teach that anyway? A 4-year college education can be very useful for leaders, but when it comes to the Creatives doing the front-line work, an associate's degree will often suffice.
Technical schools Many creative fields have technical training programs where a diploma or certificate is awarded without reaching the level of an associate's degree. Hairstylists, for instance, will often attend a cosmetology school that meets local government requirements for licensing, so you as an employer know what skills they can be expected to have upon graduating. Art schools may offer diplomas for a particular kind of work, such as fashion design or graphic art, and in that case you know where your potential employee's focus and interest lie. When people spend a period of time learning a particular skill in a formal environment, they often tend to get pretty good at it.
Certification Some technical fields, especially in the IT world, emphasize certifications along with or in place of college degrees. In these cases your Creative may have taken a class or might instead of studied on their own. (it's worth asking them how they prepared for the certification exam, to give you an idea of their preferred working style) You can check to see what different certifications entail so you understand what skills your employee is showing up with.
Apprenticeships In lieu of formal schooling some Creatives go through apprenticeships with an employer. For instance, in hairstyling, rather than attending a cosmetology school some stylists have an apprenticeship program with their salon, sort of a work-and-study-at-the-same-time kind of thing. This can be useful as it gives them insight into all the jobs in the salon rather than just the role of the person behind the chair. These programs are also regulated by the licensing agency so you can know what skills they're supposed to have. Many aspiring interior designers work at a high-end furniture store under the guidance of an experienced designer, and while this is an interesting and often effective approach, you need to realize that they're not being measured against any formal standards, so you should take care in determining if they fit your needs or not.
Many career fields can benefit from a bachelor's degree program, but "benefit from" and "demand" are two different things. If you don't require a bachelor's degree for your employees then you're broadening your pool of potential Creatives, and if that means you can still recruit people who can do what you need them to do, then that's all good.
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