The last generation is called Generation Z, people born between 1997 and 2012; they are joining the working force with totally different motivation and objectives from earlier generations. This generation has had some of the highest demands that include: Career exploration in high school has been considered to be inadequate. Due to the rising complexity of competition, and advancement in technology Gen Z is demanding for better changes in education which would provide them with clear vision on career paths to follow.
In this article, the author looks at why generation Z wants better vocation preparation while in high school, how the current system lacks in preparing them and what schools can do.
1. A New Perspective of Work and Learning-
This means that the current daily scenario that high school graduates enter college, and get good jobs is no longer feasible in well developed economies. Today, a variety of industries are experiencing changes mostly spurred by rapid developments in technology such as automation, artificial intelligence among others. The result? Generation Z knows that most of the occupations they are going to have in the future are still being invented, that is why they need better career guidance in high school.
Why It Matters:
Automation and AI: There are many repetitive tasks being done in the workplace today and this means that the students have to work harder in order to match up to the expectations of the employers.
Gig Economy: Since freelancing and gig work is increasing; career advancement and job types are becoming less standardized.
Lifelong Learning: As Gen Z understands that they may have to gain new skills every now and then, it is important for them to learn about a variety of professions from an early age.
2. Don’t Look at College As the Only Option
The tuition fees hurdles for the four-year colleges are starting to give way for the many Gen Z students. But the millennials and Gen Zs do not consider college as mandatory for success; instead, they would like to go for skills education and training institutions like vocational colleges, trade schools, apprenticeship, and certification courses. Nonetheless, most high schools continue to promote the ‘college-for-all’ paradigm which does not allow students to consider other options.
Why Gen Z Wants Change?
Rising Student Debt: Tuition fees remain high, and students end up in debts before they even get a chance of getting their first job in their chosen fields.
Alternative Credentials: The problem of a lack of college diploma is that more and more companies are switching from degree to skills-based hiring.
Vocational Education: Gen Z needs programs which offer a chance of receiving professional occupations directly after graduating high school.
3. Due to the demographic shift counter-cultural values of desire for purpose and fulfilment have emerged.
Unlike Gen X and Y, Gen Z doesn’t care much about job security, or the simple fact of having a steady and well-paid job at all, but rather, it wants to have a meaningful job. They seek to perform the tasks they really care about, the tasks that make up the kind of work they really want to be associated with. Unfortunately, high schools do not offer enough resources or programs which would enable the student to understand: what interests them, and what career might suit them best and make them feel fulfilled, for the most part.
Why It’s Important:
Values-Driven Careers: The Generation Z has priorities and their concerns include social justice, environment, and mental health, and they desire noble and contextualised professions.
Holistic Career Counseling: Schools should therefore pay extra attention in directing students on what career path to take rather than just what they learned in class.
Passion and Productivity: It has also been proven that people who have passion for their careers are more productive and have a tendency to remain with the employer more than those who have little passion for what they do.
4. Among the deficiencies which include lack of career counselling in schools is inadequate.
It is sad, despite the fact that career counselling is a popular service in many schools, most counsellors are always busy and lacking the necessary tools and resources. The student to counsellor ratio is large and a student cannot even get a one on one advice on what they should do. However, many of the career counselling programs currently in college are quite ineffective having been developed with emphasis on the high traditional careers in the market without regard to the current trending skills and the related careers.
What Gen Z Needs:
Personalized Guidance: This simply means that the information given is not useful when it comes to career choices and the reason being because the world is different. Gen Z is seeking the appointment of specific and distinctive career paths that are tailored to reflect his or her potential talents and preferences.
Up-to-Date Information: Future jobs in technology, renewable power, and creative fields have to be promoted and therefore schools are required to align their career guidance services in the current labour market.
Mentorship Opportunities: But not only counsellors, employment of mentors from the specific fields that the members of Gen Z are interested in.
5. More Real-World Exposure
Gen Z’s biggest complaint about the present education system is that it offers minimal practice exposure. Despite good scholastic achievements, a number of students claim that they are not adequately prepared to work. Nearly 60% of Genesis wants to participate in more internship, job shadowing and workplace learning that enables them to gain exposure into various occupations before they make their career choice.
Solutions for Schools:
Internships and Job Shadowing: There is a need for schools to have links with business and organizations so that students can have exposures.
Career Fairs: Take, for instance, different professionals in different fields into school so that students may have more options of what they can venture in.
Project-Based Learning: It is known that incorporating career-related projects into the curriculum allows the student to get a feel of the work environment in a given line of work.
Soft Skills: How they affect your professional journey
Gen Z understands that to be employable they have to master other skills that are not very technical such as communication and critical thinking skills among others. Sadly, the conventional education systems pay a lot of attention to curriculum subjects without adequately providing for these interpersonal skills. Gen Z has a rather broad understanding of what should be learned at school, including self-organization and problem-solving skills, which are as valuable as algebra in the future work environment.
Why Soft Skills Matter:
Workplace Dynamics: Some of the most important of soft skills include, interpersonal skills, communication skills, decision making skills as well as problem solving skills all of which are essential in today’s workplace.
Adaptability: Today’s employment landscape is fragile: flexibility and tolerance to risk are vital. People in generation Z expect schools to prepare them for jobs no matter the field they will be working in.
Professional Development: Due to this, schools should ensure that they provide categories of workshops, and courses that enhance soft skills education to the learners.
7. Access to Emerging Industries
This generation is actually rising in a technological world, and as such they want the career exploration programs to be set in this context. As is well known, future professions will belong to the spheres such as artificial intelligence, renewable resources, biotechnology, and digital marketing. Despite this high number of students and institutions offering career programs, most high school career programs still target traditional career fields, which gives the students minimal information concerning the numerous opportunities existing in the market.
How Schools Can Adapt:
Incorporate STEM Programs: H1 Schools should incorporate STEM programmes that overtime acquaint the students with contemporary sectors.
Tech and Innovation Centers: Innovating green spaces that allow students to tinker with things like coding, robotics and AI there is every possibility that students will show interest in the fields.
Career Pathways in Tech: By having specialized tracks in technology related areas, the students will be in a better position to understand what jobs are out there in the market.
8. Knowing the Finances and developing the Career.
It is concerning that at present, many Gen Z students have expressed disappointment in the way high school education has failed to equip them adequately to handle the financial responsibilities in most of their adult life. Self-management garnered from student loans and by containing own and family’s spending to agreed amounts sustain personal financial planning and sound salary bargaining. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said regarding the availability of adequate classroom and after school financial education programs where schools prepare young students for their future professions and financial status.
What Students Want:
Financial Literacy Courses: School should include such options as a financial course that would explain budgeting, investing, and dealing with debts as compulsory ones.
Salary and Job Market Information: Students need to have the information on actual national average wage, employment rate, and job outlook for various occupations.
9. Education: The Ability to Change and Adapt and Individualizing Instruction
Gen Z therefore acknowledges the importance of flexibility and appeals to flexibility in respect to their learning as well as their working lives. Imported education systems tend to be very formal and mechanical as they do not cater for the curiosity and creativity of this generation. Specifically, members of the Gen Z expect schools to give them learning plans that enable them to sample out different careers without being limited by time, as well as to get a deeper insight into areas they find appealing.
Solutions for Schools:
Personalized Learning Plans: The school should provide each student with a Career Interest Plan that will help him or her to develop a proper career plan.
Blended Learning: In the aspect of learning, flexibilities in terms of online lessons and face-to-face sessions make it easier for the students to afford to probe different job markets.
Career Electives: Schools should provide students with more career-related options for the elective classes that would give students an opportunity to make a deeper exploration of the areas of interest such as technology, art, or a health care stream.
Conclusion: Career development for the Generation Z the future of it
Currently, generation Z is joining the workforce at an era that is quite transforming as compared to the previous generations. They appreciate more career information in High school to enable them to solve mysteries of the advanced employment opportunities. Hence there is a need for schools to consider what students need in their day to day lives, need for exposure, management of their finances among other needs that they are likely to encounter in future jobs. Since the global workplace is changing, the educational systems must change as well in order to prepare gen z for the future workplace.
