When I was 15 years old, I expected to have a job as a writer, singer, or teacher when I was 30. This question has been asked to millions of teenagers worldwide, and it is important because it tells us how a generation of young people think about the future.
In 2000, the top job that 15 year olds listed was medical doctor, but there were other jobs like athlete, decorator, and military officer lower on the list. When researchers simplified this list, they found that half of all kids expected to do the same ten jobs.
However, when this question was asked again in 2018, the top answers were doctor, lawyer, and athlete. This time, there was a larger group of respondents, and one thing had changed: 25% of the kids did not list a job, compared to 14% in 2000.
Research has shown that ambition at an early age plays a huge part in people’s professional outcomes. Therefore, it is important for young people to explore various careers and gain experience through job shadowing, worksite visits, part-time work, and volunteering. Unfortunately, only 40% of students surveyed said they had participated in job shadowing or worksite visits. Around 15% of 15 year olds reported participating in job fairs, suggesting that they are not receiving the support they need to answer the question of what they expect to grow up to be. This lack of help disproportionately affects disadvantaged kids, as only around 1 in 10 of the most affluent kids are misaligned, compared to 1 in 3 of the poorest kids. In 2018, 40% of 15 year olds reported expecting to do a job at risk of automation in their country. It is not fair to ask 15 year olds this question, but these surveys demonstrate that they need more assistance in coming up with their answers.