Canva is the only visual communication platform that offers all the features you need to communicate visually. The Creativity Report 2024 provides insights into creativity in education, and its impact on workers.
Over 1,000 recent graduates, educators and hiring managers were surveyed in the UK. The findings revealed that 66% of hiring manager and 77% of graduates consider creativity to be essential for landing a good job and achieving success in the workplace. There is still a skills gap. Despite this, almost three quarters (74%) feel prepared for the workplace, but only 40% of teachers and 52% hiring managers agree.
The findings highlight the need to rethink students’ preparation for future careers. The importance of creativity is rising, and it’s now on par with STEM subjects. However, it doesn’t get the attention it needs in most educational curricula. The report urges a shift in focus for education to better prepare students, from primary school on up, for the challenges of a rapidly changing job market.
Key Findings from the Creativity Report 2024:
Creativity has become a highly valued and sought-after skill
- More than three-quarters (77%) view creativity as crucial to securing employment and for success in current roles.
- Over half (56%) of respondents wish they had improved their creativity during university.
- When making hiring decisions, 66% of hiring managers give high priority to creativity. The hiring manager’s top three skills are problem-solving (63%), communication (63%), and creativity (53%).
There is a large gap between the expectations of employers and graduate confidence
- Only 34% of educators, and 44% hiring managers agree with recent graduates that their education has prepared them well for the workplace. This gap shows the need for better alignment of educational outcomes with skills that employers want.
Teachers face challenges in integrating creativity when they integrate creativity into their teaching
- Nearly all recent graduates (94%) and 80% of educators agree that the focus on creativity in education will increase.
- Teachers cite lacks of time (38%) and curriculum support (37%) as well as inadequate funding and resources (38%) for preventing this goal. These challenges impact efforts to give students more opportunities to develop their creative skills
Human creativity is needed more than ever as AI continues to transform job markets
- 79% of recent grads and 71% of hiring manager think that creativity will be even more important as technology advances; 69% graduates and 56% hiring managers view AI as a tool for creativity
- The majority of recent graduates (88%) are more likely to believe that technology and AI will encourage more innovative problem solving than educators (68%) or hiring managers (78%), as technology can’t fully replicate human creativity.
Teachers, students and non-profits can now use Affinity for free to boost creativity in the classroom
Affinity’s professional-grade software for schools is now available for free. This will help to bridge the gap between school and employment. Affinity Photo, Designer and Publisher are ideal for students who wish to pursue careers in advanced graphic design, page layout and image editing. They also come with bespoke learning materials.
Canva’s Head for Higher Education EMEA , Petia Maximova, says: “Creativity is a key driver of business growth. It’s no surprise that employers value it highly.” There is, however, a gap between the preparedness of graduates and what employers expect. In order to address this issue, it is important that teachers place more emphasis on creativity and problem solving skills in the classroom along with technical skills.
Canva and Affinity are two tools that can help teachers reduce the stress they face while making creativity more accessible to students. This will allow them to succeed in the changing workplace.
Canva for Education
Canva’s goal is to make the world a better place, and that includes supporting quality education for everyone. Canva’s Canva for education is 100% free for teachers and students. It includes more than 100,000 templates for lessons and education, plus over 10 AI tools. Canva for Campus, Canva’s global higher education plan for universities and colleges, allows everyone to collaborate on campus.
Survey Methodology
The Harris Poll surveyed 3,066 respondents in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Sample included 1,234 recent graduates with degrees earned within the last 12-24 months who are now in the workplace, 915 educators at high schools and colleges, and 917 hiring managers across various industries. The survey examined perspectives on creativity in education and at work, the gap between graduate skill sets and employer expectations, as well as the impact of AI.
About Canva
Canva was launched in 2013 as a free visual communication and collaboration platform. Its mission is to empower anyone in the world with design skills. With a drag-and drop user interface, a wide range of templates, including presentations, documents and websites, as well as social media graphics and posters, apparel and videos, and a large library of fonts and illustrations, you can create beautiful designs.
HR News published the first version of this article New Canva Report reveals increasing demand for creativity at work, but UK graduates are falling short.
