Credit – Olga Pankova—Getty Images
Good news, parents: Your Gen Z kids are actually listening to you—at least when it comes to their post-high school plans.
In a recent survey conducted by Gallup, Jobs for the Future, and the Walton Family Foundation, 90% of Gen Z students said they trust their parents to advise them on next steps after high school. Teachers were a distant second at 54%—and social media didn’t even crack double digits.
The bad news?
Parents say they don’t know enough about the vast majority of valuable education and training options their children could pursue. They’re especially in the dark about anything that isn’t either pursuing a career directly or getting a bachelor’s degree. And parents aren’t alone.
The survey found that even school counselors—professionals specifically tasked with providing this kind of guidance—say they feel underprepared to help students adapt to the future labor landscape. There are, after all, a finite number of traditional colleges, but a seemingly infinite number of pathways beyond college. What comes after high school can now just as easily mean enrolling in a short-term training program, joining the military, starting a business, or entering a registered apprenticeship.
Though data consistently demonstrates that workers with a traditional four-year degree earn more than those without, students today have a range of education and training options including credentials and apprenticeships, which can also lead to serious increases in earnings. But most of these programs are still sorely lacking in reliable data to prove that they actually lead to a good return on investment—so it’s no wonder that they can be difficult for parents or other mentors to navigate.
The challenge is particularly acute for first-generation students or those from lower-income households, who are much less likely to know about high-quality postsecondary options than those whose parents went to college. A 2023 survey by JFF and American Student Assistance found that nearly one-third of high school graduates who weren’t pursuing college said they lacked confidence in knowing the steps they needed to take to transition into a post-high school career or education. About two-thirds said they would have considered alternative pathway programs if they had more information about them.
A single conversation can open a door. This spring’s survey found that on average, teens whose parents have discussed a particular pathway with them are about twice as likely as their peers to say they’re interested in that pathway. But parents can’t have those conversations if they aren’t aware of the full set of options themselves.
Fortunately, there are ways to help.
For students, it can be as simple as asking your parents, guardians, or other adults how they ended up in the job they’re in. You may be surprised by their answers.
And parents have a role to play by leading those career conversations—and starting them early. Weave conversations about careers into daily life and normal school days—not just captured in one-off career days. Visit colleges in-person and encourage your kids to try a summer internship. Help them understand how their interests and curiosities connect to both jobs and what they’re learning. Take advantage of resources like How We See Us, which sheds light on the experiences of nearly 4,000 students about their post-high school pathways. And explore local workforce boards, community colleges, and employer-led training programs that increasingly offer free or low-cost pathways into in-demand fields.
States and schools can also play a role by ensuring that career navigation support is widely available and relevant, and by making sure career navigation support isn’t just aimed at students, but at families, too.
And employers need to insert themselves into the conversation as well. That can include everything from internship programs in their communities, to apprenticeships, to engaging directly with schools, counselors, and students themselves. The more businesses do to help students understand what their company is, how it works, how to get there, and what success looks like, the better the outcomes for company and student alike.
Gen Z is listening—and they’re asking for direction. Parents can help ensure that every student has access to the information and guidance they need to make confident, informed choices about life after high school. But they can’t do it alone.
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