Among young people whose parents did go to university, 92 per cent are planning on applying too.

Though the careers of family members can have influence over a young person’s pathway selection, a survey by YouthInsight found that 77 per cent of students whose parents didn’t go to university still intend to apply for uni.

However, the survey of 1,021 young people aged 14 – 26 also found that a third of vocational students had originally studied at university only to discover that they prefer a more vocational experience.

This piece of research revealed a concerning gap for the future manufacturing workforce. Two in five respondents said they know someone close to them working in manufacturing, but only 11 per cent were actually confident in their knowledge about careers in the manufacturing industry, with 48 per cent of females saying they know “nothing”, compared to 32 per cent of males. Only 30 per cent of all young people had a positive factor come to mind when thinking about careers in manufacturing. And only three per cent were considering manufacturing as a career, skewed heavily towards males from regional areas, public school students, and those considering the TAFE pathway.

Job security was found to be the top factor for those choosing a career, followed by a fun working environment. Nonetheless, respondents said the search for a job is stressful and emotive, with “daunting” being the most consistent word being used by young people.

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