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Employers take notice - 'success is happiness, not money', says tomorrow's workforce

England's future workforce overwhelmingly believes being successful is about happiness, not money, according to a report released today by the Learning and Skills Council. The Success Report 2004 paints a picture of a future workforce confident of success; realistic about the hard work needed to achieve it but who have high expectations from employers for assistance in career development.

Ninety-three per cent of today's teenagers aged 14-19, surveyed by the LSC for The Success Report 2004, agreed 'doing something you enjoy is more important than making a lot of money.' The same number of young people were confident they would be 'happy and fulfilled' in their careers. Two-thirds of young people (62 per cent) recognise hard work as the driving force behind career success.

Part of this positive outlook focuses on the role young people, and their parents, believe employers should play in supporting their careers. Ninety-one per cent of both teenagers and their parents believe employers should help them gain the necessary career qualifications if they do not already have them. The LSC believes such high expectation for employer assistance, in any form from financial to advisory, will change the way employers attract, and maximise, their future workforce.

"Employers reading the report will find a profile of a future workforce that is optimistic, confident and prepared to work hard for their success, but who also believe their employer can play a fundamental role in their career development," said Stephen Gardner, director of work-based learning at the Learning and Skills Council.

"We see work-based qualifications, such as Apprenticeships, rising in importance for employers looking for ways to attract and retain bright young people within their businesses. These are young people who are not, according to their own priorities, motivated primarily by money but by feeling valued, supported and personally fulfilled within their jobs."

The most popular career choices appeared to match the goals of personal fulfilment in favour of large salaries with young people most likely to want a career as carers or within the media (16 per cent each) compared with working with money (5 per cent) or in engineering (4 per cent).

Young people are also placing themselves under pressure to succeed. The average young person expects to have figured out their chosen career by the age of 18, and to have 'made it' and 'achieved their ambitions' by 27. Over a third of young people (36 per cent) nominated themselves as the source of this pressure to succeed, followed by their mother (22 per cent).

The Success Report 2004 - Key Findings

• Success is happiness - The vast majority of young people (93%) believe 'doing something you enjoy is more important than making a lot of money'. Only 6% see lots of money in the bank as a sign of success

• Employer assistance - 91% of both young people and their parents believe employers should help young employees gain qualifications if they do not already have them

• Employers agree - Nearly three-quarters (72%) of employers surveyed agreed that employers should help young people achieve qualifications if they did not already have them for the job (500 employers were surveyed from the manufacturing, construction, hospitality, engineering and health & beauty sectors)

• Career Choices - Young people were most likely to want careers in the media or as carers (16% each) and least likely to nominate careers which involved working in transport (2%) or food (1%)

• The need to succeed - By the age of 27, young people believe they should have 'made it'

• Show me the money - Almost half (47%) expect a starting salary of anywhere up to £50k - though 93% say that getting a job they enjoy is the key to success

• Training is key - More than two-thirds (70%) of young people are prepared to train for between two and four years to achieve the ambitions to build a firm foundation for the future

The Learning and Skills Council

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is the planning and funding body for post-16 education and training in England, up to but excluding Higher Education.

As part of its role, the LSC funds and promotes Apprenticeships.

There are currently 255,500 young people aged 16-24 undertaking an Apprenticeship. They can choose from over 180 career paths in 80 different sectors of industry and commerce

Apprenticeships provide 16-24 year-olds with a mixture of on and off-the-job training while they are being paid. There are two levels of Apprenticeships:

• 'Apprenticeships', equivalent to GCSE level, incorporate a National Vocational Qualification to Level 2; key skills and in some cases a technical certificate

• 'Advanced Apprenticeships', equivalent to A-levels, incorporate a National Vocational Qualification to Level 3, key skills and a technical certificate

On 10th May 2004, Chancellor Gordon Brown and Secretary of State for Education Charles Clark announced the introduction of Young Apprenticeship for students aged 14-16 and Adult Apprenticeships for those people aged 25 and over. Pilots for both will commence in September 2004.

External link

For more information about the The Learning and Skills Council visit: www.lsc.gov.uk/

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