All posts tagged: higher education

Teens Are Re-Thinking The Future Of Work

Teens Are Re-Thinking The Future Of Work

JA/Citizens 2023 Survey of High School Students Reveals Their Career Aspirations; Economic and College Concerns; and Overall Financial Preparedness

 

Author: Kelsey Matzinger
Junior Achievement USA
Published: Monday, 01 May 2023

Have you applied for any scholarships yet? What are you going to major in? Are you excited for football season? The team is looking really good this year!

These are questions high school students get asked, but none of them are as important as “Are you able to afford college?” or “Are you going into a career field where you can pay off your loans quickly?” In today’s world, teens are increasingly exploring alternatives to the traditional higher education route, making these questions more crucial than ever. That’s why Junior Achievement and Citizens conducted a study to gain insight into where teens’ thoughts are when it comes to the cost of higher education.

Many teenagers see a successful future when it comes to their confidence in their ability to compete for the jobs of tomorrow. In fact, 57% of teens expressed confidence in their skills to do so. However, financial concerns are top of mind for many, with 70% indicating worries about the costs associated with pursuing education after high school.

Interestingly, the survey also found that the majority of teens believe an Associate’s or Technical Certification is sufficient to get a good job, with 76% in agreement. This indicates that teens are not necessarily prioritizing a traditional four-year degree as a means to achieving their goals.

The survey also found that teens are open to non-traditional paths to success, with 61% stating they would rather start their own business than have a traditional job. This preference for entrepreneurship is an interesting development and may suggest that teens are becoming more interested in taking control of their own careers.

Another trend that emerged from the survey is the growing influence of social media. With 40% of teens considering a career as a social media influencer, it is clear that this is a profession that is increasingly attractive to young people. As social media becomes more important in modern marketing strategies, it is likely that this trend will continue to grow.

However, the survey also highlighted the rising cost of living that is impacting families across the country. Over 60% of teens (63%) reported that their families have had to do without due to rising prices. This is a concern that may influence their education and career choices, as many may feel they need to prioritize immediate financial stability over pursuing their long-term goals.

It is clear that financial barriers are shaping the decisions teens make about their futures, and that the cost of pursuing education may be deterring some from pursuing their dreams.

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT

The survey suggests that teens are confident in their abilities but are grappling with the costs and practicalities of achieving their goals. As such, it is more important than ever to provide young people with the resources they need to navigate these challenges and realize their full potential.

One way to support young people in achieving their goals is by providing them with access to affordable and quality education. With the rising cost of higher education, it is important to explore alternative options, such as trade schools and community colleges. These institutions often provide high-quality training in specific fields and can lead to well-paying jobs with fewer financial burdens.

Another way to support teens is by promoting financial literacy and providing them with the tools they need to manage their money effectively. This can include offering information through JA Connect on budgeting, saving, and investing, as well as resources for managing student debt.

Additionally, encouraging entrepreneurship and providing mentorship and resources for starting a business can help teens achieve their goals while also providing them with valuable skills and experience. This can include JA Connect activities or programs like JA Launch Lesson or JA Company Program.

Ultimately, it is important to recognize the unique challenges that teens face in today’s economic landscape and to provide them with the resources and support they need to navigate these challenges successfully. By investing in the education and well-being of young people, we can help ensure a bright and successful future for all.

To learn more about JA financial literacy and entrepreneurship programs, please visit jausa.ja.org/programs/index.

Teens Are Re-Thinking The Future Of Work
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Why Work Needs Meaning

Why Work Needs Meaning

“The Great Resignation” has been in the news lately.

There has been significant turnover of young workers, many citing burnout and job dissatisfaction for their reasons to seek other opportunities. For this Labor Day and beyond, Junior Achievement has developed a thought leadership piece and video focusing on the importance of aligning interests, talents, and passion with jobs and how JA learning experiences are one way to do this.

Much has been made in recent months about “The Great Resignation,” the tendency of young workers, primarily Millennials and Generation Z, to quit their jobs to pursue higher-paying, higher growth opportunities. According to a recent survey by Adobe, factors contributing to turnover include pandemic-related burnout, the repetitiveness of duties, poor work/life balance, and general job dissatisfaction. Additional research from Gartner shows that while most HR professionals realize an improved employee experience should be a priority for employers, only 13 percent of current employees are “fully satisfied” with their employment experience. This could help explain why 3.9 million Americans quit their jobs in June of 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The question is, “What can be done about this?” It’s not like this is the first time employees have had work/life balance issues, for example. In fact, according to ADP, the concept goes back to the late 1970s and early 1980s when two-income Baby Boomer families were juggling responsibilities at work and home. Since then, there have been many studies that show similar trends with Generation X and older Millennials. As for job satisfaction, for the past two decades, only about half of Americans have expressed satisfaction with their work, according to the Conference Board. And even in the early 1990s and late 1980s, when job satisfaction was at its peak, around 40 percent of Americans were still dissatisfied. The big difference now is what is driving employees to act on these concerns and quit at historic levels?

One factor could be a disconnect between employee’s interests, talents, and the fields in which they work. There’s a common saying attributed to everyone from Marc Antony to Mark Twain to ancient proverbs that goes: “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Regardless of who said it, there’s probably some truth to it, given the enduring nature of the sentiment.

The most common denominator behind “The Great Resignation” may be that most people simply don’t like what they are doing for a living. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, of the six most popular college majors, only 27 percent of graduates in those majors continued working in their fields of study following their initial employment out of school. Additionally, the Adobe survey notes that most Gen Z-ers struggling with burnout focus on those aspects of their jobs that they are passionate about to continue working. It’s entirely possible that what’s missing is the alignment of employees’ passions to what they do for a living that can’t be solved by employer perks like occasional free lunches and fitness benefits.

This isn’t to discount contributing factors that cause people to quit jobs, such as bad pay, a toxic workplace, and a lack of growth opportunities. But the fact that it is now happening on such a large scale that it’s become a societal trend should prompt consideration of broader underlying causes, such as the way we think of work and help our young people prepare for it.

At Junior Achievement, part of our focus is to help students become work- and career-ready. We do this by helping them understand the relevance of what they are learning in school to future success. We assist them in exploring their interests and talents as they relate to jobs and careers. Most importantly, we help students understand that higher education isn’t an end unto itself, but instead a means to help them achieve their potential as adults, whether that higher education takes the form of college, trade school, on-the-job training, or some other postsecondary pathway. As a result of this approach, our research shows that 88 percent of adult JA Alumni are satisfied with their careers.

We believe job satisfaction comes from the purpose and meaning derived from that work. That is accomplished by aligning passion, talents, skills, and competencies with that work. When all of this comes together, employee satisfaction has a chance to grow.

Why Work Needs Meaning
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