How do more than half-a-million students decide on their career?
The OECD has just published their 2025 State of Global Teenage Career Preparation report, drawing on data from over 690,000 students across 80 countries. This report provides valuable insights into student job choices.
There’s good news and bad.
The bad news
- The job options that teens are considering haven’t really changed since the last report (in 2000!).
- There’s a mismatch between the jobs that students think they want, and the careers that are actually available.
- Many kids are scared they’ll pick the wrong job.
The good news
- The job options teens actually have are evolving rapidly and there’s huge opportunity.
- Too few students are participating in the career development activities that are most strongly linked to better employment outcomes.
- The career development opportunities that matter most involve connecting with real people.
How do we improve?
- When students engage directly with industry professionals, they are significantly more likely to make informed career choices and achieve better employment outcomes.
- Talks, mentorships and career storytelling improve career choices and employment outcomes.
Want to help students choose the right career for them?
Students who participate in career development activities that involve connecting with employers tend to experience better transitions into the workforce.
That means: career talks, job seminars, workplace tours, job shadowing, guest speakers and hearing from real-world people authentically involved in the job.
Career support goldmine
You’ve hit the jackpot with Careers with STEM.
Our goal is to connect young people with real professionals working in fields as diverse as they are. Our website is chockas with online interviews, job case studies, Day in the Life profiles, Job Kits and magazines that combine everything into a free and easy package created especially for students, teachers, parents and more.
If you’re an employer, university, career advisor or parent, this study presents a compelling case for proactive involvement in career education.
Careers with STEM offers everyone the invaluable opportunity to hear from a huge variety of people in a huge variety of jobs.
Our interviewees share personal experiences. Offer insight and guidance. Share a snapshot of what a typical day looks like. They share what excites them about their work and the back story of why they chose it.
Want to be involved?
Keen to shape our future workforce? Want to connect with potential future talent? Need to empower your teens to make better decisions around career choices, subject selection and career preparation?
Careers with STEM is all about giving students access to the people who do the jobs they’re considering – and the jobs they’ve never thought of.
Connect with us today: subscribe to a newsletter, be part of a webinar, or event, reach out about partnerships or start browsing our online magazines and job kits.
