Are teenagers’ Career Expectations Out-Of-Date and Unrealistic?

A comprehensive report by the OECD - OCDE, Dream jobs? Teenagers’ Career Aspirations and The Future of Work, published in 2020, analysed data from over half a million 15-year olds from 79 countries. I thought that two points were worth sharing.

1. More education does not automatically mean better jobs.

The report claims that for many, academic success alone is not enough to ensure a smooth transition into good employment - the next generation need curiosity, imagination, empathy, entrepreneurship, and resilience. They need confidence and determination to create their own jobs and manage their careers in new ways.

2. In spite of the massive changes to the world of work, young people are still choosing 20th Century and even 19th Century occupations.

The study compares the top 10 occupations cited by 15-year-olds, as the areas they wish to pursue, in 2000 and 2018 and find very little difference. They looked at girls and boys separately and found significant differences.

The report concludes that increasingly, the expectations of young people may be out of date and unrealistic, with many young people pursuing jobs that they have little chance of securing.

You can find the full report here https://bit.ly/3BHvGBX

If your teenager is in 5th or 6th year and would like help in figuring out what they want to do after finishing school, please get in touch.