Creative Thinking: One of the Most In-Demand Job Skills and How Educators Can Nurture It

Learn4Life says that visual arts instruction is key

What sets job candidates apart from one another or from artificial intelligence (AI) in the workforce? A report by the World Economic Forum noted that creative thinking skills are a top priority – followed by problem solving, adaptability and leadership skills.¹ AI lacks creativity because it can't match human creativity, which is fueled by emotion, experience and intuition.²

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Learn4Life students learn the important job skill of creative thinking in their high school visual art classes. (Photo: Business Wire)

“Art teaches creative thinking strategies because we’re using different parts of the brain to access information and process visuals,” explained Tara Holeman, art teacher at Learn4Life, a network of 85 public high schools. “Among my favorite things about teaching art is seeing students develop skills in creative thinking, working collaboratively and gaining confidence through self-expression.”

Teachers at Learn4Life see firsthand the benefits of visual arts classes and extracurricular activities focused on the arts. March is Youth Art Month, celebrating the skills children develop with visual art experiences.

And it’s those skills that employers are looking for. More than 73 percent of organizations reported creative thinking skills are a top priority in hiring talent, and they agreed that this skill set is increasing in relevance and importance.³

“So even if students don’t plan to pursue a career in the arts, the skills they learn will help them stay competitive in today’s workforce,” Holeman added. “Approximately 40 percent of our brain is dedicated to visual processing, making it a critical skill to analyze and interpret the visual information that surrounds us.”

While most educators agree that the arts should be widely available for students, when schools experience budget shortfalls, it’s typically the art and music classes that get cut – even in states where it is mandated. For example, in California only 11 percent of schools meet the state's requirement that all students receive sequential arts education in dance, music, theater and visual arts.⁴

Holeman points out that sometimes students are reluctant to sign up for an art class because they think that you must be talented to enroll.

“So, we start off with the fundamentals of drawing and they learn how to see things as an artist. They begin to gain confidence and develop their own style,” she said. “Many of our students have had very little art experience, so I try to make the projects accessible to all levels, and give them the freedom to experiment and explore so that everyone is successful.”

One student who blossomed from Holeman’s art classes bravely entered some of her pieces in the Fresno State Fair and won several awards. She continues to enter and win other art awards, helped design and paint a community mural and is building her portfolio.

“I’m so proud of her,” Holeman said. “However, I am just as proud of those students who were timid at the start of class yet learned to take new creative risks and persevere to find their own authentic style.”

For more information about Learn4Life and its personalized learning model, visit www.Learn4Life.org.

About Learn4Life

Learn4Life is a network of nonprofit public high schools that provide students personalized learning, career training and life skills. Each school is locally controlled, tuition free and gives students the flexibility and one-on-one attention they need to succeed. Serving more than 64,000 students through a year-round program, we help them prepare for a future beyond high school. For more information, please visit www.learn4life.org.

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¹ World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report, 2025

² Generative AI — Never Truly Creative? Schwanke, Axel, July 19, 2024.

³ https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelwells/2024/01/28/70-of-employers-say-creative-thinking-is-most-in-demand-skill-in-2024/

⁴ https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_2023.pdf

https://publications.csba.org/california-school-news/february-2023/the-state-of-arts-education-in-california-schools/

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