TEENAGERS’ CAREER ASPIRATIONS (2018) AND THE FUTURE OF WORK

The OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) measures the abilities of 15 year old school students to use their reading, mathematics and science knowledge and skills to confront real-life challenges. Its results provide useful insights to governments in participating countries and economies to fine tune their education policies, as well as providing international comparable data.

A common concern for the participating countries (and the OECD) is how well their education policies and systems prepare young people for adult and working life and to make choices of learning programmes and occupations that are relevant to labour market realities. The Dream Jobs report is based on self-reports and perceptions of over 600,000 students in 79 countries and economies, gleaned as part of PISA 2018.

The results show that too many teenagers are unaware of or ignore new types of jobs that are emerging, and at age 15 have a very narrow range of job expectations that are traditional, and associated with social class and gender. Social class also impacts the level of occupational aspirations and the realism of planning learning pathways to the labour market, as it does with engagement in career learning activities. However, engagement with career learning (e.g. interview with a careers advisor at school) improves attitude to school and education. The report alludes to a range of research from the fields of economics and education that show the positive career, education, and social outcomes of both school-based and non-school based career learning. 

The internet link  gives access to:
-The Dream Jobs report
-A PPT accompanying the report that also includes elements of effective guidance systems and of effective employer engagement
-A video summarising the report results.

These are rich sources of data to help inform education policies and systems in your country.