As thousands of teenagers await their A-level results, we’re left wondering what they will mean for our futures. This leads many to ponder the age old question: what do I want to do with my life?
According to a recent survey by notgoingtouni.co.uk, a quarter of British 15- to 18-year-olds have no idea what they want to do once their compulsory education comes to an end.
One such teenager is Dan Parkin, 17, a student at Wood Green school sixth form, Witney, who says: “We’re being forced to decide what job to do for the next 50 years when we don’t even know who we are as people yet.”
As a student just about to start my second year of A-levels, I can relate to this. With seemingly thousands of open days to attend, possible apprenticeships and courses to apply for, and teachers nagging that now is the perfect time to be writing personal statements, the question of “what next?” becomes ever more pressing.
The realisation that in just over a year, I won’t be returning to school classrooms every weekday but will have committed to a subject or career, which I’m supposed to pursue – and enjoy – for the rest of my life, is alarming.
Our generation may feel alone in our anxiety of trying to decide what to pursue because of the sheer number of options available. But the truth is, deciding what to do with your life has burdened previous generations too.
One older family member said to me recently: “I had no idea what I wanted to do at your age, I still don’t,” while another added: “If I had my time again, I would’ve definitely chosen a different career.”
I don’t want to look back on my career and think “what if?” or even worse, “I wish I’d done something else,” as so many people do.
Amy Westwood, 17, a sixth-form student at Henry Box school, also in Witney, says: “I think it’s harder than ever for us to make these kinds of decisions, with so many specific courses and so little help.”
The government could be doing much more to support young people in making these life-defining decisions. It does offer some support, such as the National Careers Service, where you can browse different types of jobs and perform skills tests to see if you’re right for certain careers. There is also a free hotline to discuss your options with an adviser.
But while many students I’ve spoken to believe there is some good information out there, they feel let down by a lack of help tailored specifically to our age group.
It’s not that we’re too lazy to help ourselves. Like other students I’ve spoken to, I’ve spent hours trawling through websites trying to find a course that suits me perfectly.
But having encountered hundreds of appealing courses online and having attended countless open days, I keep returning to the same thought: how am I supposed to know if I’m going to love this course and want to pursue a career based on it, based on an internet description and a 30-minute lecture at an open day?
If the government wants to reduce university drop out rates, increase job satisfaction and employment levels, it has to start with the next generation of workers by putting more time and effort into guiding us into courses and careers that we truly enjoy and want to excel at.
I’m not saying there is any easy solution to the problem; but there are many ways in which the Department of Education could go about guiding my generation and helping us in these life-defining decisions.
What about careers days in which different trades and businesses come in and talk to students, who can ask questions and learn more detail about that job? I don’t know of any school in my area that holds these for my age group. Or even the chance to spend a day in the life of a student doing a course you’re interested in, so you can see if you its right for you.
If there were more chances to sample different careers then maybe I’d have more of an idea and wouldn’t be worried about picking a course and ending up like so many others, thinking: “I wish I’d done something else.”
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