According to research from Junior Achievement and Citizens, today’s teens are optimistic about their future careers and how the advancement in technology will impact them. The Teens and Higher Education Survey shows:
- 90% of teens are optimistic about their careers,
- 90% know the career they want to pursue,
- 80% of teens feel prepared to acquire new skills from technological advancements, and
- Nearly 40% of teens believe AI will provide new job opportunities, and 30% believe it will have no impact on their ability to get a job.
The research also illustrates how teens are open to non-traditional education paths and believe advanced technology may be more valuable than higher education degrees. Forty-nine percent say a high school degree, trade program, two-year degree, or other enrichment program is the highest level of education that will prepare them for their anticipated career path. Specifically:
- 49% believe learning AI and technology advancements are more valuable than a traditional degree,
- 56% of teens believe that real-world and on-the-job experience is more beneficial than obtaining a higher education degree, and
- Of the 90% of teens who know their field of interest, STEM is the top-ranked career path
- Despite their optimism, teens are still looking for support to reach their goals.
- 33% of teens are concerned they don’t have the sufficient skills needed to reach their career aspirations,
- 36% have concerns they won’t be able to afford the education or skills development programs needed to reach their goals, and
- 77% of teens say cost plays an important or significant role in where (and if) they will attend higher education.
“As teenagers prepare to transition out of high school into their chosen career paths, we are working to help ensure they have access to the skill-building opportunities, advanced technology training, and experiences needed to help them thrive,” said Beth Johnson, Vice Chair and Chief Experience Officer at Citizens. “We partner with organizations like Junior Achievement to give young people the confidence and knowledge they need to feel prepared to pursue and achieve their career goals and successful financial futures.”
Both Junior Achievement and Citizens are focused on supporting underserved communities and ensuring that all have an opportunity to be part of the workforce of the future. Junior Achievement’s proven lessons in financial literacy, career readiness, and entrepreneurship are shown to positively impact the lives of young people by empowering them to pursue their professional and personal goals.
“Despite concerns many have raised about the impact of AI on the future of jobs, these survey results show that most young people see opportunity in this emerging technology,” said Katherine Cecala, president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Arizona (JA). “JA is doing all we can to fuel kids’ optimism and prepare them to achieve or exceed their expectations when it comes to career and financial independence. Partners like Citizens help JA provide some of the most valuable learning experiences middle and high school students need at a critical time in their lives.”
Building on their long-standing partnership, in 2024 Citizens provided a $415,000 grant to Junior Achievement USA to support financial empowerment programs that give people the confidence and tools they need to budget, save, invest, and pursue their goals. As part of the bank’s Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money program, Citizens provides funding and volunteer support to help deliver financial education. Last year, volunteers donated 3,363 hours to help deliver Junior Achievement programming in 28 cities.
More information and an executive summary of the survey are available at this link.
Survey Methodology
The Junior Achievement Career and Higher Education Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (https://wakefieldresearch.com/) among 1,000 nationally representative US Teens ages 13-18, between July 24-31, 2024, using an email invitation and an online survey. Data was weighted to ensure a reliable and accurate representation of U.S. teens ages 13-18.
Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.
About Junior Achievement of Arizona
Junior Achievement of Arizona (JA) is a 501©(3) nonprofit organization that prepares Arizona students to succeed in work and life by teaching them financial literacy, career readiness, and entrepreneurship skills. Founded in 1957, JA provides learners, K-25, with the knowledge and skills they need to manage their money, plan for their future, and make smart academic, career, and economic choices. The organization’s hands-on, age-appropriate programs are delivered by more than 9,500 corporate and community volunteers. In the 2023-2024 school year, JA reached approximately 190,000 primarily low-income, diverse students from all different geographic areas of Arizona, including rural, suburban, urban, and tribal communities. Follow @JAArizona on social media or visit jaaz.org/resources for more free online educational tools.
About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $219.9 billion in assets as of June 30, 2024. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations, and institutions. Citizens helps its customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs in order to offer tailored advice, ideas, and solutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens provides an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a full-service customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,300 ATMs and approximately 1,000 branches in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management, and small business offerings. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities. More information is available at https://www.citizensbank.com/homepage.aspx or visit them on X, LinkedIn, or Facebook.
