VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwire) -- 09/27/12 --

Editors Note: There is one image associated with this Press Release.

A higher arts education from Emily Carr University of Art + Design may just be recession proof according to findings in a recent alumni survey conducted by Vision Critical. Results show that 92% of graduates are working and directly supporting growth in British Columbia's creative sector, a 6% increase since a previous survey conducted in 2006.

The Vision Critical survey had a high response rate -- more than one third of invited alumni who attended Emily Carr within the last 15 years participated. Findings report that 29% (of those 92%) are creative entrepreneurs who own their business, are self-employed or are themselves, employers. Graduates hold a wide variety of positions and work in companies from diverse industry sectors. Employers include Jostle Corp, Rethink, Vancouver Coastal Health, Hootsuite, Apple, The Rennie Collection and Twitter.

"Recent grads are entering the labour market quickly and their creative skill sets are in demand: more than half of respondents are five years out of school and under the age 35," says Barry Patterson, Executive Director, Communications, Emily Carr. "And if they are not finding a job they are starting their own businesses." A closer look at this group of graduates finds that 20% are in business for themselves a positive result that suggests this trend will continue into the future.

Other key findings indicate:

--  The majority of employed alumni (83%) say their field utilizes the
    skills they developed at Emily Carr. 

--  Emily Carr alumni work in a wide range of roles with the skills gained
    through their education. These include positions, such as User Interface
    Engineer, Animator, Creative Director, Illustrator, VFX Coordinator,
    Professor, Curator, and Production Manager.

--  73% of Emily Carr alumni based companies are based in British Columbia
    and include: smashLAB, Giant Ant, Collage Collage, Hangar 18, ION
    Design, Martha Sturdy, Free Agency Creative, and Kelly Deck Design. 

--  76% of alumni who maintain a creative practice outside of a fulltime job
    also earn an additional income of up to $25,000 a year. 

"A university education in art and design should no longer be underestimated within the value chain of societal and economic prosperity. We educate individuals to be entrepreneurial, multi-skilled professionals who are adept at contributing a critical and creative perspective to the workplace and economy," says Dr. Ron Burnett, President + Vice-Chancellor, Emily Carr. "These results affirm our vision which is to build Emily Carr's Great Northern Way Campus and place us at the centre of a new social, cultural, educational and economic engine for British Columbia."

View the alumni survey infographic, or http://ow.ly/e33yb.

This weekend, the University welcomes Emily Carr and Vancouver School of Art alumni for The Comeback, a two-day networking reunion event.

About Emily Carr University of Art + Design

Emily Carr University of Art + Design, established in 1925, is a world leader in education and research. Encouraging experimentation at the intersection of art, design, media and technology, our learning community merges research, critical theory and studio practice in an interdisciplinary environment. Alumni and faculty are internationally recognized as award-winning creators and thought leaders who have enormous impact on both the cultural sector and economy. We engage students, industry, and society to continuously explore and think differently about creativity and how it shapes our world. Find out more at ecuad.ca.

To view the image associated with this Press Release, please visit the following link: http://ow.ly/e33yb.