Canva, the world’s only all-in-one visual communication platform, today released its Creativity in Education Report 2024, revealing insights into the state of creativity in education and its impact on the workforce.
Surveying over 1,000 recent university graduates, educators, and hiring managers in the UK, the findings highlight that over three quarters (77%) of graduates and 66% of hiring managers consider creativity essential for landing a job and succeeding in the workplace. Despite this, there is a significant skills gap, with almost three-quarters (74%) of graduates feeling prepared for the workforce, yet only 40% of educators and 52% of hiring managers agree about their readiness.
The findings underscore a critical need to rethink how students are equipped for their future careers. Creativity is emerging as a crucial skill, on par with traditional STEM subjects, yet it often lacks the attention it deserves in current educational curricula. The report calls for a shift in educational focus to better prepare students from primary school through higher education for the demands of a rapidly evolving job market.
Key findings from the Creativity in Education Report 2024:
Creativity is an increasingly valued and in-demand skill
- Over three quarters (77%) of recent graduates view creativity as essential for securing a job, and believe it is crucial for success in their current job roles
- They also rank creativity as the most useful skill they learned in university, and over half (56%) wish they had developed stronger creativity skills during their university education
- 66% of hiring managers place high importance on creativity when making hiring decisions. Creativity ranks among the top three sought-after skills among hiring managers (53%), along with problem-solving (63%) and communication (63%)
There’s a significant gap between graduate confidence and employer expectations
- While 64% of recent graduates feel that their higher education prepared them very well for the workforce, only 34% of educators and 44% of hiring managers share this view. This gap highlights a need for better alignment between educational outcomes and the skills employers are looking for
Despite the agreed importance of creativity, educators face challenges when integrating creativity into their teaching
- 80% of educators, 84% of hiring managers, and almost all (94%) of recent graduates agree that creativity will become a bigger focus in education
- However, educators cite lack of time (38%), lack of curriculum support (37%), and inadequate funding and resources (38%) as major obstacles in impeding this goal. These challenges are impacting efforts to provide students with more opportunities to develop creative skills
As AI continues to transform the job market, the need for human creativity is more important than ever
- 79% of recent graduates and 71% of hiring managers think creativity will become even more crucial as technology evolves; 69% of graduates and 56% of hiring managers see AI as an enabler for creativity
- The majority (88%) of recent graduates are also more likely than educators (68%) and hiring managers (78%) to think that the rise of technology and AI will likely encourage more creative thinking, as technology cannot fully replicate the innovative problem-solving that human creativity drives
Affinity becomes free for teachers, students and nonprofits – boosting creativity in the classroom
To further help bridge the gap between education and work, today, Affinity’s professional-grade creative software is now accessible for free for eligible schools. Affinity Designer, Photo and Publisher are perfect for students who want to follow career paths involving advanced graphic design, image editing and page layout, supported by bespoke teaching and learning materials.
“With creativity being a major catalyst for business growth, it’s clear why employers regard it as a highly sought after skill,” says Petia Maximova, Canva’s Head of Higher Education EMEA. “However, there is a concerning gap between graduates’ preparedness and employer expectations. To address this, there’s a need for greater emphasis on nurturing creativity and problem-solving capabilities in the classroom alongside technical skills.”
“Integrating creative applications and AI into classrooms through tools like Canva and Affinity can significantly alleviate the pressures on teachers, while also making creative skills more accessible for students, enabling them to thrive in the evolving workforce.”
Canva for Education
Part of Canva’s mission is to do the most good possible, which includes a focus on supporting access to quality education for all. To empower teachers to create visual lessons, streamline their work, and unlock creativity in the classroom, Canva provides Canva for Education 100% free for all teachers, students, schools, districts, campuses, ministries, and school systems, with more than 100,000 education and lesson templates and over 10 AI tools with the safety assurances of Canva Shield. Canva for Campus is Canva’s higher education plan for higher education institutions globally, enabling everyone on campus to collaborate and do their best work.
Survey Methodology
This research, conducted by The Harris Poll in June 2024, surveyed 3,066 participants across the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. The sample included 1,234 recent college graduates who had earned their degrees within the past 12-24 months and are currently in the workforce, 915 educators from high schools and colleges and 917 hiring managers from midmarket (500+) and enterprise (1000+) companies spanning various industries. The survey explored perspectives on creativity’s role in education and the workplace, the gap between graduate skills and employer expectations, and the impact of AI on creative processes.
About Canva
Launched in 2013, Canva is a free online visual communications and collaboration platform with a mission to empower everyone in the world to design. Featuring a simple drag-and-drop user interface and a vast range of templates ranging from presentations, documents, websites, social media graphics, posters and apparel to videos, plus a huge library of fonts, stock photography, illustrations, video footage and audio clips, anyone can take an idea and create something beautiful.