Understanding What Young Creatives Need: Key Insights from the DigiCreate Survey & Focus Groups
Description
Understanding What Young Creatives Need: Key Insights from the DigiCreate Survey & Focus Groups
The official DigiCreate Survey & Focus Group Report is now published, consolidating insights from 90 young people in the Cultural & Creative Industry (CCI) across Germany, Spain, Portugal, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Montenegro.
The aim: to better understand the digital and creative skills landscape and identify what young creators need to succeed.
Young creators want practical, hands-on learning
Participants consistently expressed a preference for training that is concrete, applicable, and closely connected to real creative work. Practice-first formats—such as workshops, project tasks, and demonstrations—were viewed as the most effective.
Digital and emerging technology skills remain a critical gap
While many young people possess basic digital literacy, the report shows strong demand for more advanced skills, including:
digital content production and editing
AI-assisted creative work
social media strategy
immersive and emerging technologies
Community, collaboration, and visibility are essential
A recurring theme was the lack of peer connection. Young participants want:
collaborative spaces
mentorship opportunities
platforms to share their work and gain recognition
Flexibility in learning formats
Hybrid models, micro-learning, and modular courses were highlighted as the most suitable options for young people balancing studies, work, or freelance projects.
Persistent barriers
The report identifies several structural challenges, including:
limited access to creative tools and software
financial constraints
lack of structured guidance or mentorship
digital inequalities between regions
What this means for DigiCreate
These insights will directly inform the development of the DigiCreate training modules and the Online Creative Hive Toolbox—a multilingual, open-access resource designed to strengthen creative and digital confidence and support young people navigating Europe’s evolving creative landscape.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.