SEA educators see need for digital media skills in today’s workforce

By Digital News Asia April 3, 2014

Adobe Study shows that having such skillsets will increase recruitment possibilities
Not all students gaining necessary traits and skill-sets required for modern workplace

SEA educators see need for digital media skills in today’s workforce

A MAJORITY of educators in South-East Asia (52%) strongly agreed that students proficient in digital media skills have a better chance of being recruited when they enter the workforce, a higher proportion Asia Pacific’s overall sentiment of 47%, digital media specialist Adobe Inc said in a statement.

The company recently unveiled the South-East Asia findings as part of its Asia Pacific-wide study titled Education, Creativity and Employability which saw 1,531 educators from 13 countries across the region participating from March 7-8, 2014.

A total of 121 educators represented schools (K-12 segment) and higher educational institutes from South-East Asia for this study, whose key findings were announced at the 9th annual Adobe Education Leadership Forum held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from March 31 to April 2.

The study revealed interesting points on the ubiquity of creativity in the classroom, and educators across Asia Pacific were unanimous in their agreement that creative expression is a must for all students regardless of their stream of study, Adobe said.

The findings also revealed that in South-East Asia:

62% of educators strongly agree that the use of creative tools by educators improves and enhances a student’s conceptual understanding. This is higher than the Asia Pacific average of 54%.

A majority (62%) of educators strongly agreed that basic digital media skills are essential for a 21st century workforce.

Additionally, only 28% felt that the education system does not place enough emphasis on creative expression, Adobe said.

Despite South-East Asia coming in below the Asia Pacific average (37%), the gaps in the current education system also imply that not all students are gaining the necessary traits and skill-sets required for the modern workplace.

“The education system in South-East Asia has come a long way – over the years, we have seen educational institutes taking steps towards driving innovation and creativity in the classroom, enhancing the learning journey,” said Peter McAlpine, senior director of education at Adobe Asia Pacific.

“The findings of the survey this year are a clear indication of the growing need for digital tools in the classroom to not only empower students, but also ready them for the 21st century workforce,” he added.

The Education, Creativity and Employability covered 13 countries: Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.