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Youth

Career Awareness Initiatives Expand Youth Choice in Canada

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Career awareness initiatives, such as the Let's Talk Careers Competitions, have been shown to significantly increase youth awareness and exploration of diverse career options, including skilled trades and STEM fields. By providing interactive and engaging experiences, these programs aim to help students make informed decisions about their post-secondary education and career paths. A report by Let's Talk Science highlights the effectiveness of such initiatives in improving youth outlook and preparedness for future careers.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Let's Talk Careers: Canada's Most Informed School and Students competition engaged over 14,000 students at 505 schools across Canada in the 2020-2021 school year.
  • Career profiles were explored over 1,600,000 times, with many being related to STEM and skilled trades.
  • Studies show that students are often unaware or uninterested in pursuing skilled trade and STEM careers due to a lack of awareness and misconceptions about these professions.
  • A report by Let's Talk Science found that students were most aware of careers in Education (59%) and Visual and Performing Arts, and Communications Technologies (59%), while being least aware of careers in the Humanities (46%) and Agriculture, Natural Resources and Conservation (48%).
  • Exposure to role models and a better understanding of interdisciplinary skills in post-secondary pathways increased youths' desire to take optional STEM courses in high school.
  • The Let's Talk Careers Competition aims to increase awareness of existing and emergent careers in skilled trades, technologies, and STEM fields.

Statistics:

  • 14,000 students engaged in the Let's Talk Careers competition in 2020-2021.
  • 505 schools across Canada participated in the competition.
  • 1,600,000 career profiles explored during the school year.
  • 59% of students were aware of careers in Education.
  • 59% of students were aware of careers in Visual and Performing Arts, Communications Technologies.
  • 46% of students were aware of careers in Humanities.
  • 48% of students were aware of careers in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Conservation.
  • 54% of students were aware of STEM careers.
  • 55% of students were aware of Non-STEM careers.
  • 1,360,000 students explored STEM career profiles.

Sources:

  • Let's Talk Science
  • Skills/Competences Canada
  • ChatterHigh

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