This just in - students actually listen to their parents (sometimes)!

The PEIHSC released a report on grade 12 students’ education and career plans in January. The report was based on a survey we conducted with grade 12 students during the 2007/2008 school year, and we were really impressed with the number of students (almost half of the grade 12 population) who took the time to fill out the survey. I thought this would be a good venue to point out some of the findings of the survey, especially for members of the public who might not be aware of it.

For this post I’d like to focus on the part of the survey where we asked students about what influences their education and career plans. We found that parents have the most influence on high school students’ plans (does this surprise you?). We asked students the degree to which their career plans were influenced by three different factors – parents/guardians, friends and career promotions campaigns. 36.6% were influenced “some” or “a lot” by career promotions campaigns, 39.6% were influenced “some” or “a lot” by friends, and 66.8% were influence “some” or “a lot” by parents. That’s a significant percentage of high school students who rely on parents for information and insight on future education and careers, and I think it drives home the fact that parents need to have access to the right information.

In an effort to get information out there about opportunities in the health sector and the variety of occupations available, we published Health Careers on PEI, a directory of 62 health occupations practiced on the Island. Most of us are aware of the staffing issues with physicians, nurses and pharmacists and that demand for those careers are high, but there are other health careers that are also in high demand. Additionally, many health careers are accessible to people who may not be interested in pursuing the education required for a career as a family doctor or specialist surgeon. Occupations like medical laboratory technologists, licensed practical nurses, dental hygienists, resident care workers and emergency medical technicians require between 6 months and 2 years of college education.

If you would like a hardcopy of the Grade 12 Exit Strategy report or the health careers directory drop me a line or give me a call and I’ll see what I can do for you. My contact info can be found on my profile or the Health Sector Council website.

Cheers,
Mark