5 reasons the humanities still matter

Humanities graduates are not only valuable to the cultural sector - they pursue careers as leaders and their transferable skills are shared across many areas of the economy

The importance of the humanities sector is often questioned in a progressively technological society, where a large focus is placed on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.

However, the cultural knowledge and critical thinking skills possessed by humanities graduates ensure they are sufficiently prepared to 'meet the needs of the current and future labour market'.1

1. Critical thinking skills

The Right Skills: Celebrating Skills in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS) report, published in 2017, provides a detailed breakdown of the skills and qualities humanities graduates possess. Individuals from a humanities background are experienced at debating and have a natural instinct to challenge information and consider alternative viewpoints.

When it comes to the humanities, there is often no right or wrong answer, meaning graduates are 'comfortable with uncertainty and unfamiliarity', which will be beneficial with the likely changes coming to the UK economy with Brexit and the growth of technology.2

2. Valuable social skills

Not all of the skills humanities graduates possess are exclusive to their degree though. The ability to research, analyse data and present results in a written format can be developed across a range of disciplines. Where humanities graduates differ is the context in which they apply these skills.

As outlined in the report, the focus on the 'human' element is what makes AHSS graduates valuable. Skills such as empathy, sociability, and ethical awareness are important and cannot be replicated by technology. As society evolves, humanities graduates could help to fill the gaps technology cannot replace.

3. Contribution to the services sector

Humanities degrees are not traditionally considered vocational, with few graduates entering a job specifically connected to their subject of study. The transferable skills humanities graduates acquire enable them to pursue a variety of occupations.

Most popular occupations,Percentage of humanities graduates
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals,20.1
Teaching and educational professionals,16.8
Business, finance and related associate professionals,9.6
Artistic, literary and media occupations,7.9
Media professionals,7.6
Business, research and administrative professionals,7.1
Public services and other associate professionals,7

Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education 2015/16.3

The majority of these occupations are found in the services sector, which accounts for 80% of the UK economy (Office for National Statistics 2016 survey), so the skills and knowledge possessed by humanities graduates are being shared across most UK enterprises.

4. Significant role in the cultural sector

The humanities play an important part in the cultural sector, which contributed £27 billion to the UK economy in 2015.4

The Right Skills report highlights that graduates in these subjects have specialist skills, such as design skills, archaeological techniques, and conservation skills. It further underlines the importance of academic research conducted by humanities PhD students and organisations, which supplements the UK's cultural developments.

5. Leadership potential

Humanities graduates also pursue careers as leaders. A report by the British Council found that 11% of professional leaders had a humanities degree.5

Leaders with a humanities background work in a variety of sectors, the most popular of which include:

• sport and entertainment (26%)
• communications (21%)
• non-profit (18%)
• education and training (17%).

What next for the humanities?

Last year there was a reduction in applications across a range of disciplines, including core humanities subjects, according to the UCAS 2017 End of Cycle Report.

Applications dropped by:

• 7.1% for historical and philosophical studies (16,015 applications)
• 6.2% for European languages, literature and related (1,195)
• 5.1% for non-European languages, literature and related subjects (305).

This may be the result of a greater emphasis placed on the importance of STEM subjects in higher education, sometimes to the detriment of subjects such as the humanities, which do not always immediately produce the same level of salary and employment outcomes.

It is important that in future the need for innovative technological development does not undermine the value of the humanities sector and its contribution to society.

Based on the reports, it is inarguable that humanities graduates are a great asset to the labour market, offering a range of knowledge and skills. It is important that universities work to promote the distinct value of a humanities degree to both students and employers, highlighting how the skills graduates learn help prepare them for the workplace and lead them into multiple careers.

Notes

1  'What is the value of a humanities degree?', Graduate Market Trends, autumn 2010.

2 The Right Skills, British Academy, 2017.

3 Data is representative of the five humanities subjects: philosophy; history; English; languages; and classics.

4 The Right Skills, British Academy, 2017.

5 Educational Pathways of Leaders, British Council, 2017.

Written by

Laura Greaves

Information analyst

Prospects