No huge surprise here as recent findings reveal what we likely already knew… STEM careers are booming and teens are losing interest in science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) and medical-related fields. Despite interest declining, the United States Department of Labor predicts employment opportunities in STEM careers will increase by 17 percent through 2018. The report presents the findings of a study conducted Feb. 5-15, 2013, using the KnowledgePanel to interview 1,025 teens ages 14-18 years old.
Some key findings from the survey include:
- Eighty-three percent of teens are confident they will land their “dream” job at some point in their career but only five percent are pursuing an internship in their area of interest
- Twenty-eight percent of teens are financially contributing in preparation of paying for college; this is 24 percent less than last year
- Both the 2012 and 2013 studies indicated that teens’ parents or guardians are the primary financial contributors for continuing education and training
- 38 percent of teens said that the status of the economy has not affected their career plans; they feel comfortable with the economy because they can rely on parents and caregivers in terms of their futures
An executive summary of the 2013 Junior Achievement USA Teens & Career Survey is available here. See the official PR release HERE