Why talk about the future at home
Families have a big say in how young people see their future. The research says so, and so do young people.
Australian research using the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth found that parental influence is a critical driver of young people's educational and occupational aspirations.
The same NCVER release notes that earlier research identified parents as the primary information resource young people use when discussing career and post-school options.
Across countries in PISA 2022, one-third of 15-year-olds said they feel pressure from their families to follow a specific path after school, and one in ten feel it very strongly.
5.8 million people (22.8%) reported using a language other than English at home in the 2021 Census. Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Punjabi were the most common.
What the research suggests
Australian research using the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth links parents' expectations with young people's plans for school, study and work, and points to parents as the people young people turn to first for information about their options.
International data adds a caution: many teenagers feel family pressure to follow a particular path. That is why these cards are built for listening and exploring together, rather than for steering towards an answer.
How the cards are written
- Short questions in plain words, so they work across ages and are easier to translate.
- No assumptions about who is in a family, where it comes from or what it earns.
- Cards for adults to answer too, because young people learn from hearing real stories.
- No job lists, no quizzes and no scores: the aim is a good conversation, not a result.
Who we are
The Career Table is a Career Calling site. Career Calling is part of Career Calling International Pty Ltd (ABN 53 162 651 238) and of CAQA Groups.
Questions or ideas for new cards are welcome. Contact us.