Creative apprenticeships are broken… but now Adobe is trying to fix them

I recently attended Adobe Max 2025 in London where, amidst the usual buzz of new product launches and famous speakers, there was something truly exciting that could genuinely enhance people’s lives.

For years, I’ve observed talented graduates facing the frustrating dilemma of needing experience to secure a job, yet requiring a job to gain experience. Our creative industries have long relied on a flawed system that favors individuals with connections or financial resources to work for free, while neglecting diverse talent and fresh perspectives from those who did not attend private schools.

Adobe’s recent introduction of the Creative Apprenticeship program at Max is aimed at tackling this core issue. This comprehensive initiative integrates educational resources, mentorship opportunities, paid projects, and most significantly, Adobe-sponsored apprenticeships with creative companies.

What’s the concept behind it?
The concept is that agencies need to nurture talent but may lack the budget to do so, prompting Adobe to step in and bridge the gap. This benefits the apprentices by providing valuable opportunities, and also benefits the agencies. As stated by Eric Snowden, Adobe’s SVP of design, during his keynote speech: “Even as apprentices learn, they are adding value. Creative work is valuable, and people should be compensated. We aim to establish this expectation from the outset.”

This approach is a breath of fresh air in an industry where unpaid internships and exploitative “exposure opportunities” have become the norm. Going against this trend, Adobe is backing its words with action, offering design studios grants of around £15,000 to employ apprentices for periods ranging from three to six months.

However, the program is not solely about financial support. It also addresses crucial soft skills that can make or break creative careers, with the introduction of a new Career Resource Center on Behance providing guidance on networking, self-promotion, pitching, and client management. These practical insights are often lacking in university curricula but are indispensable in the professional realm.

Creating a pathway
The program’s structure is strategically designed to establish a talent pipeline. Creatives can begin with free resources and mentorship, advance to paid Adobe projects, and eventually be considered for funded apprenticeships with partnering studios. Each stage helps in building a portfolio, boosting confidence, and expanding professional networks.

While the Career Resource Center is accessible globally, the commissioned projects and apprenticeship opportunities are currently limited to the US, Canada, and the UK. Adobe has also teamed up with LinkedIn to offer Creative Cloud members three months of LinkedIn Premium Career, which offers additional networking and learning resources.

Naturally, one program, even from a company like Adobe, cannot instantaneously rectify all the structural issues within the creative industries. Nevertheless, it represents a significant step towards a fairer system that appropriately values emerging talent.

Reflecting reality
It is particularly heartening to see a major tech company acknowledging the existing gap between education and industry and taking steps to address it. Too often, we have placed the burden on young creatives to navigate this transition independently or blamed universities for not adequately preparing students.

Having witnessed numerous early-career designers struggle with this transition, I cautiously welcome this initiative. If successful, it could set a new benchmark for how we embrace talent in our industry, based on merit and potential rather than privilege and connections.

The creative industries thrive on diverse voices and fresh perspectives. By reducing some of the financial barriers to entry and offering structured support, Adobe’s apprenticeship program could help ensure that these voices are heard. If you are embarking on your creative journey, it is definitely worth exploring, and if you are a studio in search of raw talent, this is an opportunity you would not want to miss.