Purpose: This study aims to explore the mediating role of employee work engagement in the relationship between training and creativity in the education sector in India. Design/methodology/approach: The sample for this study consisted of 260 faculty members from 11 public universities in the Punjab region. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was utilized to test the hypotheses. Findings: The results of the study revealed that training has a significant direct and indirect effect on employee creativity through employee work engagement. The findings suggest that training can stimulate work engagement, highlighting the importance of fostering employee engagement for enhancing creativity. Research limitations/implications: While the method used in this study may not facilitate direct generalizations, it offers valuable insights into prevalent discursive strategies found in numerous contemporary public organizations. Practical implications: The findings offer insights for designing targeted training interventions to enhance work engagement and foster creativity among faculty members in the education sector. Originality/value: This study contributes to the existing literature by addressing a gap in research on the interaction between training, work engagement and creativity. As there have been limited studies on this topic in the education sector in India, this research provides novel insights and extends the understanding of how these variables are related.