Getting in
Do you like planning and designing in a creative situation?
Then the design sector might well be for you.
Key facts
- Design is applied to almost all aspects of our lives nowadays, both in terms of function as well as form, and includes fashion, furniture, product, textiles, jewellery, interiors, etc.
- Over 2.8 million people are employed in the creative industries - and this number has grown by nearly 14% since 2011.
Routes into this sector
There are various types of qualifications available at different levels.
- GCSEs in English, maths and art & design will help get you into this sector.
- At 16 you could do A Levels in Arts subjects such as Art and design, photography, textiles or product design or you could do a vocational course at college such as the UAL Diploma in Art and Design or Product Design.
- At 18, after A levels or a level 3 course you could do a free one year Art Foundation course at college to develop your design skills to decide which area you want to focus on at university.
- At 18 or 19 you could do a higher education/degree level course, with 8 out of 10 A Level students choosing this pathway and half of all BTEC National students. However there are also other routes into your chosen career - through apprenticeships.
There are jobs in this sector where you can start with few qualifications and receive training on the job through an apprenticeship and others such as an architect which require a degree.
Use the Course Search
Use the relevant search options on our Course Search to find college and university courses as well as vacancies for apprenticeships.
More help finding courses and training
- To find out more about the qualifications needed in this sector go to Discover Creative Careers for careers in animation, computer games, visual effects, TV, radio, film, fashion, design, advertising, social media creative hair and makeup
- Find out what qualifications you need to study Art and Design in higher education.
- To search for an apprenticeship vacancies available now related to design, across England (you need a vacancy to be able to apply)
- To find apprenticeship vacancies near you. Also, there are other ways to find an apprenticeship explained here.
- To find a vocational course related to design at a college (also check the college's website to get the latest list of courses)
- To find a university level course related to design.
Do a free, short, online course to find out more (looks great on your CV too!)
Future Learn have lots of free, short, online courses that will improve your knowledge of this job sector and improve your chances of landing your dream job. Check out the available courses related to design.