In Canada today, it is especially common that those graduating with arts degrees are not finding quality jobs. They are “struggling to find meaningful work,” says Lauren Friese (Founder at TalentEgg Inc.), as they choose a degree in arts, as apposed to a more practical program, such as business or engineering. Adelle Farrelly, a graduate with a an MA from U of T, expresses her frustrations: “[No one told me an English degree wasn’t an acceptable prerequisite for even basic grunt positions].” Upon graduating she was working at a coffee shop, just waiting, and in search for that ‘real job,’

Friese expresses her concerns about the way this country prepares its youngsters for the job market. She emphasizes the most distressing part: “the consistent devaluation of education in the arts,”(Friese, 1) a process, she says, that is denying arts graduates the opportunity to be a useful part of the economy.

We must consider whether it is the arts students, or the economy? Will these Students have brighter opportunities in the future, perhaps if the world moves further away from recession? This is useful to consider when discussing the future of grad students, as in today’s world even those in more ‘practical’ programs are struggling. Life is unfair.

Source: Graduate Employment (The Globe and Mail)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/canada-competes/why-are-we-training-our-arts-grads-to-be-baristas/article4507579/