According to recent findings of a broad coalition of researchers, 81 per cent of corporate leaders in America believe that “creativity is an essential skill for the 21st-century workforce.” But there’s widespread concern that this skill isn’t being addressed.
The arts in all their forms are the best way to develop creativity, and other essential soft skills. However, not only is funding for the arts being cut, in America as in the U.K., but the arts are still marginalised in education.
In an attempt to address this conundrum, several states in the USA are looking to introduce a law to develop a Creativity and Innovation Education Index, in order to gauge the extent to which schools provide opportunities to foster creativity.
The index originated in Massachusetts—and California is the latest state to implement it.
It’s too early to say if it will work, but it is a positive move.
While there’s been a lot of talk about the STEM skills (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), these must be augmented to STEAM—adding Arts into the mix—if we’re to get enough creativity and other soft skills that we need for a 21st-century workforce.