Study: Schools Provide Little Guidance on Choosing a Career Path

Only 15 percent of middle school students and 17 percent of high school students are certain about the type of work they want to do in the future. This increased uncertainty and lack of information is particularly evident in the popularity of gap years among high school students. A quarter of high school students plan to take a gap year after finishing their studies, according to a recent survey titled “When School Ends.”

The main reason for taking a gap year is to think about the future. Fifty-one percent of those planning to take a gap year need more time to consider their options for further education.

There are significant shortcomings in upper secondary school orientation and career guidance—only 30 percent of students receive adequate guidance regarding career choices.

“In high school, guidance focuses on academic progress. Career guidance isn’t introduced until the senior year, by which point it’s already too late. Preparing for these choices should start earlier, and the entire school should be involved,” saysLiisa Tenhunen-Ruotsalainen, Director of the Economic Information Office (TAT).

Guiding young people in their career and educational choices is not solely the responsibility of schools. In fact, the influence of the home and immediate social circle on these choices has clearly increased since last year. The importance of friends and acquaintances as sources of information has risen from 41% to 49%. At the same time, the importance of guidance counselors and teachers as sources of information has actually declined slightly.

“High school girls, in particular, find high school so stressful that more than a third of them don’t have the energy to start cramming for entrance exams right after their final exams. Something needs to be done to integrate the high school graduation exams with university entrance exams and to improve academic counseling,” Tenhunen-Ruotsalainen continues.

Salary alone does not motivate young people

High school students’ expectations regarding working life reflect conflicting feelings about the workforce. Work is expected to play a significant role in their lives, and interesting job duties are seen as clearly more important than pay. On the other hand, the enormous challenges of working life weigh heavily in the balance. Young people fear that they will not be able to enter the workforce or that they will make the wrong choices.

“Young people’s expectations of working life are a mix of fear and curiosity. High school students tend to view work in a very traditional light. Doctor, police officer, pilot, and lawyer are the careers that come up most often in spontaneous career plans. The fear of unemployment continues to rob young people of the courage to consider unconventional career choices,” saysReeta Sutinen, research manager at the research firm T-Media.

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Over 7,700 young people responded to the “When School Ends” survey. The survey was conducted online in February 2016. The young people were asked a wide range of questions about their future plans, further education, and expectations regarding working life. The survey was conducted by the research firm T-Media on behalf of the Economic Information Office (TAT).

Download the study summaryhere!

Additional information:

Economic Information Office TAT
Director Liisa Tenhunen-Ruotsalainen
Tel. 040 545 2198
liisa.tenhunen-ruotsalainen(a)tat.fi

T-Media
Research Manager Reeta Sutinen
Tel. 040 511 9936
reeta.sutinen(a)t-media.fi

Sales of the main report and sector- and institution-specific reports:
Executive Producer Vesa Vilenius
Tel. 050 560 8488
vesa.vilenius(a)t-media.fi

The publication *Young People’s Dreams* examines young people’s career and educational choices in light of the 2016 *When School Ends* youth survey and expert perspectives.