The number of UK creative jobs is set to grow 5.3% by 2024, faster than STEM at 5.1%, and double the average rate of employment which will increase by 2.5%, a new report from Creative Industries Federation and Nesta shows.

This means, for children who start secondary school this year to graduate in 2024, there will be 119,495 new creative jobs.

Previous CIF and Nesta research suggests that, increasingly, the jobs in high demand will be ones that combine creative, technical and social skills. But fewer children are taking creative subjects:

● entries for GCSEs in creative subjects fell by 46,000 last year
● 2016 entry rates to creative subjects at Key Stage 4 fell to its lowest in a decade

As robots and automation take over routine tasks, this generation of young people will need skills that are future-proof.

Recommendations include:

● Government should back an industry-led Creative Careers initiative.
● Government should ensure that its technical education and apprenticeship schemes are fit for purpose.
● Ofsted should limit ‘outstanding’ to schools that warrant it: a school must teach creative subjects to be eligible for an ‘outstanding’ rating.
● The Government’s upcoming Curriculum Fund should be resourced to help the delivery of high-quality materials for creative and technical subjects.

Check out the full report below: