British teens lacking in creativity

Teenagers in the UK are lacking in creativity and fail to appreciate the value of innovation and adaptability. That's the message from a report commissioned by the National Endowment for Science, Technology & the Arts (NESTA). On the positive side, the report, entitled 'Ready for the Future?' found today's teens valued hard work and the importance of educational qualifications.

NESTA asked research group Demos to carry out interviews with over 300 15-16-year-olds from all over the country and while their findings might be music to parental ears, they also point to a testing future for the country as a whole.

67% of those asked which qualities would help them get the job they wanted said 'hardworking' was important while 52% opted for 'reliable.' Attributes such as being 'resourceful' or 'creative' received much lower scores - 17% & 15% respectively.

When asked what would improve their chances of getting a job, 79% plumped for 'qualifications' as one of their top three choices with 'personality' being picked by 42%. Asked to describe their own personalities, 47% said they were 'hardworking,' and 40% 'reliable' while just 22% thought they were 'creative' and a mere 11% claimed to be 'resourceful.'

'Parents & family' formed the biggest learning influence at 39%, just ahead of school (37%) with the Internet third with 15%.

The teenagers were under no illusions about how easy the future is likely to be with almost 70 per cent believing it will be 'hard' or 'very hard' to find a job in their chosen career. Having an 'interesting' job (33%) was more important than good pay (26%) or reliable career prospects (18%). But just 4% thought they might start their own businesses some day.

A NESTA press release said 'Successful innovation requires individuals who seize the initiative and challenge accepted norms, and evidence suggests these traits aren't coming through.'

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