A recently published report by the OECD has found that 15 year-olds worldwide are much more uncertain than they were 20 years ago about their careers. A powerful statement is striking:

“We are educating them for our past, not for their future” OECD, Accessed: 28th May, 2025

Last week I attended an OECD webinar outlining the Teenage Career Readiness research findings involving over 700,000 15 year-olds, worldwide. Whilst there are encouraging insights into how good quality career pathway coaching does help our children, many young people are not in fact engaging in career activities. What we have is a picture that sees:

• a sharp increase in career uncertainty among 15 year olds since 2006

• occupational expectations that do not align with opportunities

• the expectations of those who do “know” what they would like to do are narrowing into less than 10 jobs, significantly Medicine & Law for girls, IT, Engineering & Sports for boys

• job opportunities are in fact diversifying

• 53% expect to engage in professional work – this being 3 times greater than demand

• disadvantaged students are worse affected

• between 2018 and 2022 participation in career guidance at school has increased slightly, but that only 50% of students engaged in career development activities

There are so many theories as to why teenagers are feeling uncertain about their futures. Much moral panic fills the media and social media as to the behaviour of our “youth” groups, in particular the amount of time spent online. And, of course, we have the issue regarding the perception that AI is replacing jobs. These are both topics for another time! But what preparation can we, as parents, give our children?

What can parents do to help their teenage child?

So let’s look at the last point that I’ve highlighted in the list of findings, above, from this important OECD report. If 50% of 15 year olds are missing out on participating in career activities, this is most certainly to their disadvantage. But what are “career activities”? It means things like:

• having a part-time/summer job

• doing some organised work experience

• ongoing participation in volunteering activities

• engaging in networking (Career Conversations), or

• attending a job fair.

All of these career activities are really rich experiences, which help to prepare of children for the world of work. Schools can and do help with this, but we know our children best and what they enjoy doing. So as parents, we are the most influential people in the lives of our young ones, by far. By opening our children’s eyes to opportunities through family, family-friends, neighbours, volunteer groups and local businesses, a child might, for example, get a summer job that could well trigger a passion. If it doesn’t, well that’s ok too, because the experience is telling them a lot about what they wouldn’t like to do for work.

My first jobs were many and varied. I worked as a pet kennel assistant, cafe assistant, newspaper delivery person, fruit picker, hotel bar/housekeeping assistant… Some were more physically taxing than others. Some were indoors; others out in the weather. I would say that by trying out a few different jobs was helpful to me because without this sort of preparation, I was only able to “see” certain professions.

The adage: “You can only be what you can see“, was referenced during the OECD presentation, by one of the presenters. It’s so true. If a child is raised in a family of teachers, or doctors, we might ask ourselves; Can they envision themselves doing something different? “Workplace Attractors”, such as indoors versus outdoors work places, are a good starting point for a career conversation at the meal table, or in the car. So start by asking your child questions such as:

“What would you prefer, to be physically active and learning by doing? Would you like to do something in an office, sitting down, or mostly on your feet, during your working day?

These preferences can and often do align with certain abilities. Strength, dexterity and agility, for example.

In “The Tao of Pooh“, by Benjamin Hoof, 1982, Methuen; London, we are reminded that:

“A fly can’t bird, but a bird can fly” Very Simple. It’s obvious, isn’t it? And yet, you’d be surprised how many people violate this simple principle…and try to fit square pegs into round holes, ignoring the clear reality that Things Are As They Are… In other words, everything has its own place and function. That applies to people...”

Remember that; “(o)ne man’s food is often another man’s poison...”

I will talk more about this in future blog posts, as there is so much more we can do, as parents of teenagers. Plus it can get confusing for them if our child has multiple interests.

But for now, my last point is to say that we need to listen well and accept what our children say to us, in terms of their preferences. Yes, we do have a lot of uncertainty to contend with in the world of work. Our children are clearly feeling increasingly uncertain, as the OECD report here testifies. But, “Where there is Uncertainty, there are Possibilities”. I borrowed this open-minded philosophy from a yoga teacher. I think that is what we must tell our 15 year olds.