Levelling up: Gamifying fashion work experience in north-east England through playful learning resource development

A successful career in fashion, as with most creative industries, is rooted in aptitude and networks developed through experience in the field. Situatedness here has long supported the teaching of fashion through encouragement of work placements and interning alongside education. Scholastic efforts alone are rarely enough to secure a career and as such situated learning in a professional environment is a key supplement to post-education opportunities. As the adage goes, it’s not what you know but who you know, or, as Bourdieu would put it, the connections attributed to ‘social capital’ mean that work experience is instrumental in broadening professional circles for students. However, the first steps towards building networks can be exacerbated by location, socio-economics and personal limitations, meaning a large subset of fashion students begin their professional journey at a competitive disadvantage despite all completing the same degree programme. This report seeks to investigate pedagogical solutions to simulating experiences through a board game where situated learning is limited or not possible. This report discusses the preparation, development and implementation of a playful resource using action research that aims to facilitate learning about fashion industry careers for students at a higher education provider in the north-east of England.