Student poll from Junior Achievement and ING reveals teens value "doing good" more than making money
1/29/2010
By Cynthia Hobgood
Teens entering the workforce today face one of the worst recessions in decades but remain optimistic about their future careers, according to poll released January 26 by Junior Achievement and ING. The poll indicates 90 percent of teens are confident they will obtain their ideal job. Additionally, an overwhelming majority (84 percent) said they would forego a perfect job for the opportunity to make a difference in the world. When asked to identify which factors would motivate them to sacrifice getting the ideal job, more teens chose "having a positive impact on society" over "being well paid," "having decision-making responsibilities," having a job that was "extremely challenging," and a job that provided "publicity and recognition."
While the economic climate has improved over the past year, nearly three-quarters of teens responding to the JA-ING survey are more worried, or as worried, about their future job prospects now, compared to a year ago. Of those teens who said they were more worried now about their job prospects, 64 percent said they were anxious about the economy, and 55 percent cited the unemployment rate as the most troubling issue.
When asked about the most important factors in getting a good job, nearly all teens polled ranked "believing in yourself" (93 percent) and "getting good grades" (93 percent). Additionally, 83 percent believe work readiness programs, if offered by schools, would prepare them for a successful career.
"Teens' optimism and energy are inspiring. As they look toward career paths, positive attitudes ultimately could help to end this economic slump," said Jack E. Kosakowski, president of Junior Achievement USA. "Teens are telling us they want to channel this energy and invest in their future careers. Junior Achievement programs help kids reach their goals by providing them with positive career role models and with the tools to be successful in the workplace, such as leadership and teamwork skills."
Rhonda Mims, president of the ING Foundation, added, "From an employer's perspective, programs such as JA Job Shadow are key to creating a well-prepared workforce, because they provide a multi-faceted approach to teaching career skills. Job shadowing gives students the foundational tools they need to build a successful career, such as critical-thinking and leadership skills. It also provides important positive role models in the classroom volunteers who deliver the curriculum and the mentor whom the students shadow in the workplace. So, the students are given the opportunity to contextualize what they learn from the JA Job Shadow program and see the relevance of those concepts in a real-life situation."
JA Job Shadow is a program that provides engaging, academically-enriching and experiential learning sessions in work-readiness education and career perspectives. JA also provides virtual Job Shadow experiences free of charge, where students can view more than 130 different job-specific videos to help them discover their career path.
In other key findings of the survey, when asked what their schools could do to better prepare them for the workplace, teens responded as follows to a list provided:
- To better understand the relevance of what they learn at school to the real world (87 percent)
- To have real-world experiences, such as job shadowing (85 percent)
- Access to more programs preparing them to be successful in the workplace (83 percent)
- Receive more career counseling (79 percent)
For more information about JA Job Shadow or other related programs, visit: http://www.ja.org/programs/programs_job_shadow.shtml.
Methodology
The Junior Achievement-ING Kids and Careers Poll was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation from December 10-13, 2009, and surveyed 750 U.S. boys and girls ages 12-17 by telephone. The survey's margin of error is +/- 3.4 percent.
About JA Worldwide (JA)
Junior Achievement, an America’s Promise Alliance Partner, is the world's largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, Junior Achievement provides in-school and after-school programs for students which focus on three key content areas: work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. For more information, visit www.ja.org.
About the ING Foundation
An Alliance Partner since 2006, the ING Foundation's mission is to improve the quality of life in communities where ING operates and its employees and customers live. Through charitable giving and employee volunteerism, the foundation focuses on programs in the areas of financial literacy, children's education, diversity, and environmental sustainability. For more information, visit www.ing-usafoundation.com.