Abstract

Unemployment has emerged as a global phenomenon that brutally affects young people, irrespective of whether they have academic qualifications, but is more prevalent and predominant in semi-peripheral and peripheral countries. Like graduates from other emerging countries, South African graduates are experiencing unemployment. The issue of unemployment in the performing arts industry has become a matter of great concern. Vocal Art (hereafter VA) graduates are finding it increasingly challenging to find a bridge between university and the industry of their profession. This article reports on a study that explored the relevance of the Performing Arts (Vocal Art) curriculum at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Pretoria, South Africa, to employment opportunities for its graduates. A qualitative research method was employed using approaches such as a review of scholarly writings and interviews with arts graduates, lecturers, employers, VA performers, and selected performing arts industry practitioners and leaders. The findings demonstrated that there are a high number of arts graduates battling to find employment which is partly attributable to a lack of specific skills not catered for in the present curriculum. The study identified these special and relevant skills crucial for the performing arts industry. The article concludes by affirming that the TUT curriculum has to be redesigned, restructured and aligned with the continuously changing performing arts industry.

摘要

失业已成为一种全球现象，它对年轻人产生了残酷的影响，无论他们是否具有学历，但在半外围和外围国家中更为普遍和占主导地位。与其他新兴国家的毕业生一样，南非的毕业生也面临失业。演艺界的失业问题已成为备受关注的问题。声乐艺术（以下简称 VA）的毕业生发现在大学和他们的专业行业之间找到一座桥梁越来越具有挑战性。本文报告了一项研究，该研究探讨了南非比勒陀利亚茨瓦内科技大学 (TUT) 的表演艺术（声乐艺术）课程与其毕业生就业机会的相关性。采用了一种定性研究方法，使用的方法包括对学术著作的审查和对艺术毕业生、讲师、雇主、VA 表演者以及选定的表演艺术行业从业者和领导者的采访。调查结果显示，有大量文科毕业生正在努力寻找工作，部分原因是缺乏当前课程未涵盖的特定技能。该研究确定了这些对表演艺术行业至关重要的特殊和相关技能。文章最后确认 TUT 课程必须重新设计、重组并与不断变化的表演艺术行业保持一致。并选定演艺行业的从业者和领导者。调查结果显示，有大量文科毕业生正在努力寻找工作，部分原因是缺乏当前课程未涵盖的特定技能。该研究确定了这些对表演艺术行业至关重要的特殊和相关技能。文章最后确认 TUT 课程必须重新设计、重组并与不断变化的表演艺术行业保持一致。并选定演艺行业的从业者和领导者。调查结果显示，有大量文科毕业生正在努力寻找工作，部分原因是缺乏当前课程未涵盖的特定技能。该研究确定了这些对表演艺术行业至关重要的特殊和相关技能。文章最后确认 TUT 课程必须重新设计、重组并与不断变化的表演艺术行业保持一致。