Gen Z teens are very practical, writes Bruno Manno on The 74. In the recent Question the Quo survey, high school students say they want to develop knowledge and skills that will expand their career options, including "financial literacy, communication, problem-solving and understanding their own and others’ emotions."
Sixty-five percent say they'll need education and training after high school, but not necessarily a four-year degree. They want flexible options, such as boot camps and online courses, writes Manno. Two-thirds say their ideal post-high school learning should be on the job through internships or apprenticeships or through hands-on learning in a lab or classroom.
Worried about paying off student loans, "only 51 percent are thinking about pursuing a college degree, down more than 10 percentage points since before the pandemic and 20 points since shortly after COVID began," writes Manno. "Other surveys of young people and adults find similar skepticism about the value of a four-year degree."
"Many see two or three years of post-high school education as being ideal," the survey reports.