Middle School Students and Career Choices
Preparing the Youth of Today for the Jobs of Tomorrow
Mar 11, 2009
Ask some experts and they’ll tell you that it’s never too soon for young people to start thinking about what they want to be when they grow up. However, it seems that what someone might enjoy doing at four years old is likely to be completely different than what they will enjoy at twenty-four years old. And even someone in their thirties, forties or fifties may find their interests change over time. So when should middle school students start thinking about their career?
What the Experts Say about Middle School Students and Careers
According to a September 2008 article in The Calgary Herald a study conducted by Canadian Policy Research Networks found that schools don’t appear to be doing enough to prepare young people for a career, and that information on career and skill development should be initiated early; in this case as early as sixth grade.
In addition, it was reported in the Daily Mail Reporter that Schools Secretary Ed Balls told the British Chambers of Commerce that students as young as ten “should learn about the choices open to them when they leave school.” This includes having young students visit universities and encouraging more school visits from business people.
To help middle school students with making the right career choice, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has compiled general information about potential career opportunities based on interests and hobbies commonly found among middle school students. In addition, the student’s edition of the BLS Handbook includes a teacher’s guide.
Not intended to be a comprehensive overview of all possible careers available to young people, the Handbook gives a glimpse into twelve categories and basic information about jobs in each. For instance, the section on “Building & Fixing Things” suggests jobs such as carpenter, auto mechanic, and civil engineer, while the section on “Helping Others” shares information about being a teacher, doctor and social worker, among other jobs.
How to Help Young People Choose the Right Career
Young people are influenced by what they see around them – family, friends, and neighbors – as well as on television or in movies. While they may think they know what career they want to pursue when they grow up, much of what they know comes from misconceptions of what they see or is influenced by what their parents or relatives do.
That is why experts suggest that children need to become aware of themselves and the world around them in order to fully understand and digest information about their individual interests and what exists beyond just their immediate world. This means working with young people to explore their likes and dislikes, expand their understanding of the world at large, and enhance their knowledge of how business works. This can be accomplished through discussions, question and answer exercises, reading, research, interaction with the business community and any method that allows a young student to discover new ideas.
The whole idea is to provide young people with the broadest opportunity to learn and grow: whether that means reading about technology and science or poetry and art, or whether that means visiting businesses or having business leaders come to campus. The only way to gain the full measure of what is ahead of them and the career options that are available is to build good learning habits when they are young. That is the best way to prepare the youth of today for the jobs of tomorrow.
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