2014 Spotlight on Science Learning Report: Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce
The latest research report from Let’s Talk Science, made possible by Amgen Canada, is Spotlight on Science Learning: Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce: What do Canada’s Teens Think About Their Futures?. This report offers insight into how and when teens think about their future careers as they go through high school and make post-secondary choices. By understanding how teens think about their pathways, and what influences them, we can better help our youth to identify and capture tomorrow’s opportunities.
When it comes to making decisions about education and career paths, Canadian youth are driven by their interests with 86 per cent of youth aged 13-17 saying that interests influence their decisions about education and career aspirations. This is a number that has grown since a 2011 survey (71 per cent).
Today’s youth have a growing interest in and appreciation for science with 72 per cent believing that science is fun, more than twice as many as a 2011 survey (34 per cent). Further, 78 per cent believe science offers them many different career options, while 74 per cent agree that a good understanding of STEM is very important to adult life.
Beyond interests, teens place great importance on values when considering future career options with the vast majority wanting jobs that use higher-order skills like making a useful contribution to society (84 per cent), making decisions (75 per cent) and solving problems (70 per cent), all of which can play a role in STEM-based jobs.
Explore this new report to learn more about the perceptions of today’s youth regarding STEM learning and their future careers.
For more information about our Spotlight on Science Learning Reports, contact Communications at Let’s Talk Science.