TY - JOUR
T1 - Dream Jobs and Employment Realities
T2 - How Adolescents’ Career Aspirations Compare to Labor Demands and Automation Risks
AU - Hoff, Kevin
AU - Van Egdom, Drake
AU - Napolitano, Christopher
AU - Hanna, Alexis
AU - Rounds, James
N1 - Funding Information:
This research is supported by the University of Illinois Campus Research Board (RB 18045). The original data collection was supported was supported by a grant from the National 4-H Council to Richard M. Lerner (Tufts University). We thank Tufts University’s Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, particularly Richard M. Lerner and Kristina Schmid Callina for sharing these data. We are also grateful to Jacqueline Breimeier, Michael Caliendo, Nancy Lazaro, Shannon Lee, Lingyue Li, and Yan-Yu Yang, undergraduate research assistants who coded qualitative data for this research.
Funding Information:
This research is supported by the University of Illinois Campus Research Board (RB 18045). The original data collection was supported was supported by a grant from the National 4-H Council to Richard M. Lerner (Tufts University). We thank Tufts University?s Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, particularly Richard M. Lerner and Kristina Schmid Callina for sharing these data. We are also grateful to Jacqueline Breimeier, Michael Caliendo, Nancy Lazaro, Shannon Lee, Lingyue Li, and Yan-Yu Yang, undergraduate research assistants who coded qualitative data for this research. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by the University of Illinois Campus Research Board (RB 18045) and a grant from the National 4-H Council.
Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by the University of Illinois Campus Research Board (RB 18045) and a grant from the National 4-H Council.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021.
PY - 2022/2
Y1 - 2022/2
N2 - Despite a rapidly changing labor market, little is known about how youth’s career goals correspond to projections about the future of work. This research examined the career aspirations of 3,367 adolescents (age 13–18 years) from 42 U.S. states. We conducted a large-scale coding effort using the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) to compile the vocational interests, educational requirements, and automation risk levels of career aspirations. Results revealed that most adolescents aspired to careers with low potential for automation. However, there were large discrepancies between the sample’s aspirations and the types of jobs available when the sample entered the workforce. Almost 50% of adolescents aspired to either an investigative or artistic career, which together account for only 8% of the U.S. labor market. There were also notable trends across age and gender, such that aspirations were more gendered among younger adolescents, whereas older adolescents appeared less influenced by gender stereotypes. Overall, findings indicate important discrepancies between young people’s dream jobs and employment realities. We discuss how lofty career aspirations can have both positive and negative effects, and we present implications for career theories and workforce development initiatives aimed at promoting a more dynamic future workforce.
AB - Despite a rapidly changing labor market, little is known about how youth’s career goals correspond to projections about the future of work. This research examined the career aspirations of 3,367 adolescents (age 13–18 years) from 42 U.S. states. We conducted a large-scale coding effort using the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) to compile the vocational interests, educational requirements, and automation risk levels of career aspirations. Results revealed that most adolescents aspired to careers with low potential for automation. However, there were large discrepancies between the sample’s aspirations and the types of jobs available when the sample entered the workforce. Almost 50% of adolescents aspired to either an investigative or artistic career, which together account for only 8% of the U.S. labor market. There were also notable trends across age and gender, such that aspirations were more gendered among younger adolescents, whereas older adolescents appeared less influenced by gender stereotypes. Overall, findings indicate important discrepancies between young people’s dream jobs and employment realities. We discuss how lofty career aspirations can have both positive and negative effects, and we present implications for career theories and workforce development initiatives aimed at promoting a more dynamic future workforce.
KW - automation
KW - career aspirations
KW - future of work
KW - vocational interests
KW - workforce development
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U2 - 10.1177/10690727211026183
DO - 10.1177/10690727211026183
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85108510305
SN - 1069-0727
VL - 30
SP - 134
EP - 156
JO - Journal of Career Assessment
JF - Journal of Career Assessment
IS - 1
ER -