Five Insights Studying Teen Views on Tech Careers
Presented by Charles EatonCEO, Creating IT Futures Foundation
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
About the National Study
326 students and 325 parents of teens were surveyed:– Enrolled in a public school– In the 11th or 12th grade– Grades in school are mostly B’s or C’s– No history of expulsion – Lives in an urban area– Household income less than $65,000– African-American or Hispanic/Latino
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
Teens Choose Computers & Technology over Other Careers
Top Ten Careers of InterestBusiness owner 18%
Software Programmer 17%
Nurse or Doctor 16%
Civil Engineer 15%
Lawyer 12%
Computer Technician 11%
Military Job 11%
Computer Design Engineer 11%
Architect 7%
Engineer 7%
Career Categories of InterestComputers/Technology 42%Building and fixing things 32%Business and retail 31%Helping people 31%Law/Military 29%Music and art 23%Science 15%Managing money 14%Sports 10%Writing and reading 10%Social studies 9%Nature 5%
Interest in Computer & Technology Careers
Computers/Technology, including: 42%Software Programmer 17%Computer Technician 11%Computer Design Engineer 11%Web or App Developer 6%Database Administrator 4%
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
People Skills Are More Common than Tech SkillsStrong Skills & School Subjects
Being friendly 54%
Being creative 51%
Being a good listener 47%
Accepting responsibility 40%
Listening to others 39%
Art 34%
Math 34%
Working with my hands 33%
Thinking logically 32%
Music 31%
Working with technology 31%
Solving problems 30%
Managing money 29%
Developing relationships 28%
Computer science 27%
Motivating others 24%
Writing 24%
Strong Skills & School Subjects
Organizing things and information 24%
Developing goals and sticking to them 23%
Counseling others 23%
History and social sciences 23%
Meeting deadlines 21%
Leading others 20%
Science 20%
Drama 19%
Researching information 18%
Reading and analyzing literature 16%
Planning events 15%
Editing others’ writing 15%
Foreign languages 14%
Selling ideas and products 14%
Public speaking 13%
None of the above 1%
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
Teens Want Careers & Education, and Many Want to Help Their Parents
Getting married or starting a family
Traveling to new cities or countries
Making a contribution to society
Moving into a better neighborhood
Having a career that others respect
Having a lot of money
Helping other people
Gaining more independence from my family
Owning my own home
Helping my parent(s) with money or housing
Going to college
Getting more education and training after high school
Having a job I love
30%
34%
44%
37%
35%
34%
45%
40%
30%
38%
34%
38%
37%
31%
27%
23%
30%
36%
39%
29%
34%
46%
39%
44%
41%
51%
61%
61%
66%
67%
71%
72%
74%
74%
76%
76%
78%
79%
88%
Series 3 Extremely Important[n=336 Teens]
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
Boys Want Homes, Girls Want College
Top Three Aspirations for the Next 5 to 10 Years(% citing as very or extremely important)
African American Boys
African American Girls
Hispanic/Latino Boys
Hispanic/Latina Girls
1. Having a job I love (88%)
2. Owning my own home (81%)
3. Having a lot of money (81%)
1. Having a job I love (85%)
2. Getting more education and training after high school (83%)
3. Going to college (80%)
1. Having a job I love (83%)
2. Getting more education and training after high school (78%)
3. Owning my own home (77%)
1. Having a job I love (94%)
2. Helping my parent(s) with money or housing (82%)
3. Going to college (81%)
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
Careers and Learning Are More Important than Power and Prestige to Teens
Working in an office
Having authority or power over others
Being a manager
Solving puzzles or problems
Working for myself or having my own business
Being the CEO or the main person in charge
Getting to travel to new cities or countries
Working independently
Working with others as a team
Being creative or artistic
Leading and inspiring others at work
Helping other people
Working in a field where it is always easy to find a job
Making a lot of money
Learning new things all the time
Having a career, not just a job
26%
29%
36%
36%
32%
33%
33%
38%
41%
39%
44%
42%
42%
36%
46%
39%
22%
22%
19%
21%
26%
29%
29%
26%
25%
33%
28%
30%
31%
36%
32%
45%
48%
51%
54%
57%
58%
62%
62%
64%
66%
71%
72%
72%
73%
73%
78%
84%
Series 3 Extremely Important[n=336 Teens]
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
Who Do You Rely On Most to Talk about…
Teens Rely on Parents for Planning Their Future
…what you will do after high school?
A parent/guardian 77%
A teacher at school 32%
A friend 34%
Another family member 27%
School counselor/staff 25%
A coach 19%
Somebody else 1%
None of the above 2%
…what you might be good at and enjoy doing?
A parent/guardian 67%
A teacher at school 34%
A friend 33%
Another family member 26%
School counselor/staff 21%
A coach 15%
Somebody else 1%
None of the above 3%
…different types of jobs and careers?
A parent/guardian 68%
A teacher at school 29%
A friend 27%
Another family member 19%
School counselor/staff 25%
A coach 10%
Somebody else 1%
None of the above 2%
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
Fewer than Half of Teens Are Often Discussing their Future with Parents
… discuss and help you with homework assignments?
… give you feedback about things you are good at and might enjoy doing in the future?
… talk about different types of jobs and careers that might be available to you?
… talk specifically about your plans for after high school?
… talk about specific colleges you might attend or training programs you could enroll in after high school?
30%
47%
39%
45%
42%
29%
66%
58%
63%
56%
Parents
Teens
% Reporting “A Lot” of Discussions about Homework and the Future
How often do your parents . . .
[n=336]
[n=325]
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
Half of Teens Say Parents Expect Them to Go to College
Teens Parents
49%62%
43%34%
7% 4%They would not mind if I didn’t go to college
They want me to go to college, but if I got a decent job, it
would be OK not to
They say I have to go to college or I will not be successful in life
I would not mind if my child didn’t go to college
I want my child to go to college, but if he/she got a decent job, it would be OK not to
My child must go to college or he/she will not be successful in life
Parent Attitudes about Going to College
[n=336] [n=325]
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
Most Teens Plan to Go to College
Teens’ Plans after High School(multiple selections allowed) [n=336 Teens]
College or Trade School, including: 90%
Attend a 4-year college 57%
Attend a technical or trade school 26%
Attend a 2-year college 17%
Get a job 29%
Go into the military 6%
Start a business 4%
Don’t know / Haven’t thought about it 4%
What Parents Hope Teens Will Do(multiple selections allowed) [n=325 Parents]
College or Trade School, including: 94%
Attend a 4-year college 74%
Attend a technical or trade school 25%
Attend a 2-year college 33%
Get a job 25%
Go into the military 13%
Start a business 7%
Don’t know / Haven’t thought about it 1%
What Parents Say Teens Plan to Do(multiple selections allowed) [n=325 Parents]
College or Trade School, including: 84%
Attend a 4-year college 57%
Attend a technical or trade school 18%
Attend a 2-year college 30%
Get a job 18%
Go into the military 11%
Start a business 3%
Don’t know / Haven’t thought about it 8%
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
Teens and Parents Have a Vague Understanding of the Term “IT”
Teens Parents
28%20%
26%
22%
24%
29%
21%30% I definitely know what IT is
I’m pretty sure I know what IT is, but I’d want to check to be certain
I might know what IT is, but I’m not really sure without looking it up
I definitely don’t know what IT is
Familiarity with the Term IT
[n=336] [n=325]
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
Few Teens Know People in IT Jobs
Teens Parents
23%
36%
51%
35%
Have an IT Role Model
Have a personal
connection to somebody in IT
Have a personal
connection to somebody in IT
Have an IT Role Model
Including:• 40% someone they know• 8% celebrity or famous person• 4% person or character from TV
or movies
Including:• 29% someone they know• 5% celebrity or famous person• 3% person or character from TV
or movies
[n=336] [n=325]
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
Most See IT as Requiring an Excellent Math and Science Background
Teens Parents
12%18%
32%8%
25%
29%
17%33%
14% 12%Up to one year of training and classes after high school
Two years of train-ing and classes after high school
A four-year bache-lor's degree
A master's degree or higher
I have no idea
Teens Parents2% 1%
4% 12%
39%
48%
54%39%
Agree strongly
Agree somewhat
Disagree somewhat
Disagree strongly
Based on what you know, how much do you agree or disagree with this statement: People with information technology (IT) jobs need to do really well in math and science classes at school.
How much training and education do you think people with information technology (IT) jobs need?
[n=336] [n=325] [n=336] [n=325]
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
Most Think “Good Pay” When They Think of IT Careers
45%
41%
37%
37%
36%
26%
25%
24%
22%
18%
15%
8%
TeensPays well
Requires good math and science skills
Getting to think of ways to use technology to help people
Getting to play with lots of cool technology
Fun, interesting work
Easy-to-get job because there is always a need for IT workers
Working alone sitting in front of a computer all day
Difficult, complicated work
Competitive, with too many IT workers looking for jobs
Hard-to-get job with work sent to other countries
Just for tech geeks
Boring
59%
45%
53%
44%
36%
25%
20%
16%
25%
10%
13%
5%
Parents[n=336] [n=325]
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
Teens Express Strong Interest in IT Careers
0.12202380952381
18%
22% 17% 22%
39%
38% 45% 42%
31%40% 38% 36% Something I am def-
initely interested in
Something I may be interested in
Something I am not interested in
Don’t know/Haven’t thought about it
70% at least some interest
78% at least some interest
83% at least some interest
78% at least some interest
Overall Build, Install, & Repair
Write Software & Programs
Consult on Technology Usage
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
Focusing on IT in Other Chosen Fields Generates Interest as Well
22
19%
58%
23%
It would make me a lot more interested in IT
It would make me somewhat more interested in IT
It would not change my interest in IT
What if you could have a job in information technology (IT) within a career field you selected earlier. How would this change your interest in IT, if at all?
[n=124 Teens]
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
Pay and Love of Technology Drive Interest in IT Careers
47%
47%
43%
43%
43%
35%
30%
23%
1%
It would pay well
I like working with technology, computers, mobile phones, etc.
It would involve learning new things all the time as technology changes
It would be fun, interesting work
I like using technology to help people
There are a lot of career paths and opportunities to grow
I like solving logic problems
It would be easy to get a job because there is always a need for IT workers
Other reasons
Reasons for IT Interest[n=300 Teens]
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
But Teens Say Parents and Teachers Often Discourage IT as a Bad Fit
A teacher
A parent/guardian or grandparent
Another adult in my family
A coach
A school counselor or other school staff
Somebody else
26%
28%
13%
10%
5%
1%
32%
27%
12%
8%
4%
3%
51% of teens say somebody has told them they are not good at math
or science
49% of teens say somebody has told them an IT or STEM career is not a good fit for their
personality
[n=336] [n=336]
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
Nine out of Ten Feel They Could Succeed in an IT Career
Teens Parents
35%
32%
52%
57%
12% 11%
I would be a
natural
With hard
work, I could
be good at these things
I would probably struggle
— They’re just not
my thing
My child would
probably struggle
— It’s just
not their thing
My child
would be a
natural
With hard
work, my
child could
be good at these things
[n=336] [n=325]
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
School Resources Are Least Favored as Ways to Learn about Careers
Going to work for a day or a week with mentors who do these jobs
Online career exploration tools and apps
Doing an internship during after-school hours
Doing an internship over a school holiday or summer
Going on site visits or tours where people do these jobs
Regular classes at school
Guest speakers in classes at school
Extracurricular activities at school
Activities through community programs outside of school
40%
38%
37%
36%
35%
34%
29%
28%
27%
How Teens Want to Learn about Jobs & Careers[n=336 Teens]
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
But Those Who Have Say It Encouraged Their Interest
62% say classes increased
their interest in IT
62%say after school activities
increased their interest in IT
Classes Activities
0.083969465648855 0.0561797752808989
0.114503816793893
0.146067415730337
0.175572519083969
0.179775280898876
0.412213740458015
0.460674157303371
0.213740458015267
0.157303370786517
I became much more interested in IT
I became somewhat more interested in IT
It did not change how I felt about IT
I became somewhat less interested in IT
I became much less interested in IT
[of n=131 teens] [of n=89 teens]
Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
Most Teens Express Interest in IT Skills Development Programs
38% 40% 42%48% 46% 50%
56% 50% 46% 39%33%
31%
94%90% 88% 87%
79% 82%
Interest in Learning about IT Programs If . . . Very InterestedSomewhat Interested
… you could get paid for it as a job while in high school
… it would help you get into
college
… you could get high school course credit
for it
… it were related to
other areas of career interest
to you
… it involved helping to
solve a problem in
your community
… it involved helping to
solve a problem in your school
30 Survey of Teen Views on Tech Careers, 2015 | CreatingITFutures.org
Seven Things You Can Do
1. Appeal to their interest in the softs skills that are so relevant in tech careers
2. Educate their parents
3. Give them role models
4. Show them the breadth and depth of IT jobs and how many industries those jobs touch
5. Debunk the myth about math and science ability
6. Get them jobs – work-based learning
7. Don’t let them give up when it gets hard