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Preparing our young people for tomorrow must start today

31/03/2008

"If predictions are correct, 50 per cent of the jobs that will be available in 10 years time don't yet exist."

Young people believe their own passion, motivation and personal attributes will be more important in helping them pursue the career of their choice than qualifications, according to a new survey from NESTA, due to be published today. They're driven by a desire for personal fulfilment ahead of money, and by personal interest over altruism.

The release of the findings coincides with the launch of a collection of essays commissioned by NESTA from a diverse group of business leaders, entrepreneurs, young people and academics to drive debate about how best to prepare young people for the future in our rapidly changing world.

Despite some fears over competition for jobs, further research shows the majority of young people are optimistic about the future and believe they'll get to where they want to be, no matter where that is, 'within 7-10 years'. In fact, many young people feel a strong sense of entitlement to success.

However, the research also suggests young people are less aware of how to achieve their end goals and want greater access to the right kinds of advice or experience to build the skills they will need.

When asked about careers advice, young people felt that a focus on attainment by their schools left teachers little room to offer guidance beyond selecting university degree courses. Many felt that they would benefit from teachers and others offering a broader perspective.

Beyond the school gates there is a dearth of other advisers, with nearly a third, 31%, of young people claiming to have no role models. Those who do are most likely to be influenced by their own family, 25%, although business leaders like Richard Branson also have a role to play, inspiring 15% of young people.

According to NESTA, this changing workplace makes it more pertinent than ever to prepare young people for the future by developing a wider range of skills. Jonathan Kestenbaum, CEO of NESTA, said:

"If predictions are correct, 50 per cent of the jobs that will be available in 10 years time don't yet exist. On this basis, it becomes harder to predict what qualifications someone will need in 2020 and it is more important to give them a broad range of skills to prepare them for all the options. This means encouraging young people to be confident, creative risk-takers who will be more likely to come up with new ideas, lead business or drive social change".

When surveyed about what skills their time at school helped them develop, while young people felt that their team-working (76%) and problem-solving (75%) had benefited, nearly half (49%) were either unsure or negative about the impact their schooling was having on their ability to take risks; over a third criticised its development of their creativity (35%) and networking skills (35%). Focus groups revealed young people are also concerned that they're not developing their face-to-face communication skills as they spend more and more time online.

When asked about the future, young people did recognise jobs were changing, "things have evolved, the carpenter has become the IT technician". The majority no longer anticipate having 'a job for life' though many see setting up their own business as an end goal.

NESTA Spokespeople are available for comment and interview. Please contact our press office on 020 7438 9608. If you would like the DCSF response please call their Newsdesk on 0207 925 6789.

About NESTA

NESTA is the National Endowment for Science, Technology & the Arts. Its mission is to transform the UK's capacity for innovation. We do this in three main ways: by working to build a more pervasive culture of innovation in this country; by providing innovators with access to early-stage capital; and by driving forward research into innovation, with a view to influencing policy.

NESTA Future Innovators

NESTA'S Future Innovators Programme aims to develop the skills and attitudes needed by young people for the future economy. We do this by supporting the professionals and institutions that work with young people, to test new approaches and disseminate ideas and resources about 'education for innovation'.