British teenagers don't believe education is important

New research has revealed that a staggering quarter of British teenagers believe that education is not important in achieving their goals, showing that today’s teenagers clearly need a reality check when it comes to pursuing their dream career.

The research, commissioned by the Learning and Skills Council’s (LSC) to highlight its Education Maintenance Allowance, found that over a quarter (26 percent) of 16-18 year olds questioned in the survey believe that it is easy or very easy to secure a career in areas such as sports, entertainment or the media; a perception, no doubt, influenced by the seemingly easy path to fame followed by the likes of David Beckham, Lily Allen or Leona Lewis.

Today’s survey results also showed that many teenagers see perceived ‘instant careers’, such as becoming a footballer, a TV celebrity or a pop-star as being far cooler than careers such as becoming a teacher, a politician or a chef, which appear to require more hard work.

The most popular careers include those in entertainment and TV (18 percent) and the media (14 percent), while the least popular careers included those in the military (2 percent), manufacture (3 percent) and sales (4 percent).

However, the reality is that most jobs whether they are looked upon as being cool or not, require good levels of qualifications. In fact, for those interested in pursuing a career in the music or media industries, achieving Level 2 is a prerequisite even for an entry point position. For example, to be a runner in music production or broadcasting, a Level 2 Audio-Visual Industries Induction is desirable. Highly competitive industries such as advertising will not even consider applicants unless they have a Higher National Diploma or a degree.

Jonny South of Air Management, who count Jamie Cullum and Jason Mraz amongst their artists, agrees that hard work and the right qualifications are vital to success. He says: “It has not been easy to get where I am today. To succeed in this industry you must have determination and hunger to go after the job you desire.

“At Air we’ve worked hard to establish long-standing relationships with artists and clients and it shows in our roster, with the likes of Jamie Cullum choosing our services; but we need people with the right skills and qualifications behind us to make it a success. My advice would be to think about your chosen career and research the right qualifications to lead you into that career. Getting hands-on experience working in the industry will help a great deal. Don't wait for things to happen, create you own opportunities and make the most of them"

Only a quarter of those questioned in today’s survey (25 percent) stated that a high level of education or skills was a key to securing their dream job. Surprisingly 45 percent would trust their natural ability, and nearly half (47 percent) would rely on being in the right place at the right time rather than work to secure the correct qualifications or skills required to reach their goals.

When asked what, if anything, would help them stay on in education, respondents stated that more support from their family (13 percent) and more time (12 percent) would be a good start; while over half (56 percent) replied that financial support would be the biggest help overall, showing that funding such as Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) can help.

EMA exists to encourage young people aged 16-18 who have left, or are about to leave, compulsory education, to carry on in learning. Eligible young people can receive up to £30 a week to spend on their studies.

LSC spokesperson Ian Pursglove says: “Staying on in learning can make an overwhelming difference to your future. Those who leave learning at 16 or earlier and without the minimum set of qualifications (at least five A*-C GCSEs or the vocational equivalent) may face unemployment, social exclusion and certainly won’t walk into that dream job; but by continuing to learn and taking advantage of funding such as EMA, you will give yourself the best possible chance.”

Whatever your chosen career, staying in learning and achieving a Level 2 qualification will equip you to make the best start possible. There are more choices now than ever before in terms of courses and ways of getting qualified so there is bound to be something to suit everyone.

To find out more visit direct.gov.uk/ema.