What do urban teens want from their careers?

CREATING IT FUTURES FOUND ATION How Can You Prep Your Teen for a Tech Career? Teens Look to Parents for Career Guidance Urban teens in a survey by the Creating IT Futures Foundation identified parents as their most significant influencers by a factor of 2-to-1 or greater compared to teachers, guidance counselors, peers and coaches. Who do teens rely on most to talk about what to do after high school? 77% Look to a parent or guardian for 'what to do after high school. 34% Look to a friend 32% Look to a teacher at school 27% Look to another family member 25% Look to a school counselor/staff 19% Look to a coach 1% Look to somebody else 2% None of the above Parents expect students to graduate – but teens may not hear the message What teens perceive What parents believe 43% 34% 29% 4% Parents think Parents think it's okay to drop out of high school it's okay to skip college Disavow yourself of career myths Most teens and more than a third of parents think that IT jobs require a four-year college degree. Reality: Several pathways can help you get started in an IT career without a degree. Nearly all teens and parents believe that being successful at an IT job requires doing really well in math and 8 T1 science courses. Reality: Not all tech jobs require much math or science beyond the basics learned in grade school. Parents, recognize and capitalize on your Influence! I Don't assume that messages about college and career are getting through. I Intentionally set aside more time to discuss careers with your high-school-age children. I Educate yourselves. Learn more about IT careers at CompTIA.org/roadmap and test drive an IT career at http://ow.ly/IpZt2. Source: Creating IT Futures Foundation, Teen Views on Tech Careers, February 2015, CreatingITFutures.org