Marvin OnumonuTrinity College London’s report found 54% of Gen Z respondents felt ready for work, but confidence was higher among those with creative education beyond the standard syllabus.
The survey found that around 65% of performance and creative arts students felt well-prepared for work compared to 46% of other pupils.
Young people with experience in performance and creative arts at school were 14 percentage points less likely to worry about sharing different opinions and 12 percentage points less anxious about presenting work than those without this background.
Only 54% of those aged 16 to 29 felt ready for work, while 48% of teachers believed students left school well-prepared for the workplace.
When looking for work, 42% of students said they worried about working with unknown people, 38% about face-to-face small talk and 30% about phone call anxiety.
Students who took part in music, drama or dance education beyond compulsory schooling showed higher confidence and work readiness.
96% of Gen Z respondents with creative education believed strongly in their transferable skills, compared to 86% of those without.
Erez Tocker, CEO of Trinity College London, said: “Teachers tell us they value performing arts education and want to do more to grow these skills but often lack the time and resources.
“Young people strongly agree but many are entering the workplace unprepared and anxious, needing more chances to develop, practice and showcase they can apply these skills in the real world.
“Performance and creative qualifications and education activities – whether in music, drama, or dance – can offer exactly that.”
More than eight in 10 teachers surveyed said creative education played a significant role in developing communications and social fluency, with a similar number agreeing it built teamwork skills.
Additionally, the report found creative education provided a “confidence shield” to students entering work, reducing worries over conduct and practical office challenges.
Among creative students, 5% worried about sharing different opinions in the workplace compared to 19% of non-creative students.
For presenting work, 18% of creative students felt anxious compared to 30% of non-creative pupils.
There was also increased confidence among creative students in understanding office jargon, being enthusiastic at work, writing formal communications and speaking up.
The report described arts education as offering repeated experience of navigating creative challenges, building comfort with ambiguity and analytical thinking that carries over to workplace problem-solving.
85% of teachers said creative education developed communication abilities and social fluency, but 31% cited systemic issues as the main barrier to expanding provision, such as funding and curriculum constraints.
Eleanor Andressen, chief academic officer at Trinity College London, said: “As education systems worldwide grapple with curriculum reform and evolving accountability frameworks, creative education offers a sophisticated solution to modern workforce development challenges.
“Where traditional academic assessment struggles to capture and validate human skills, performance-based learning and assessment provides authentic evidence of capability.”
