Big Words Spell Out Big Fears Of UK'S 13-17 Year Olds
“What Are Your Main Worries About Your
Future?”
Slough, 16th September 2009 -
Findings from the Realtime Generation Survey 2009 are published
today, revealing the education and career choices, expectations and
concerns, of 13-17 year olds from across the UK. Key findings from
the survey, which was commissioned by international IT solutions
provider Logicalis, include:
- 80% of UK teenagers are concerned they won’t be able to afford
higher education because of the recession
- 48% are worried about getting into debt to finance a University
education
- 52% say the recession will affect which University they
choose
- Over half (52%) agreed they would be influenced in their choice
of college or University by a free laptop or iPhone
- Science/IT/engineering is considered to have the best career
prospects (33%); property is considered to have the least (4%)
- 72% intend to take academic subjects over vocational
courses
- The majority (37%) of boys want to study science/IT/engineering
at higher education; for girls, the arts (25%) is the course of
choice
- 35% of girls think the Internet was ‘made’ for cheating when it
comes to completing coursework
‘Job’; ‘money’; ‘university’; ‘want’; ‘afford’ - these are the
words used most frequently by this generation when asked about
their main worries for the future.
According to Chris Gabriel, marketing and solutions director at
Logicalis UK, the survey results are a reflection of external
influences;
“The word cloud captures the zeitgeist of this generation and,
drilling down into individual comments, it reveals deep-rooted
fears about the value of education versus employment prospects. In
fact, many of the teenagers surveyed expressed serious concerns
about getting into debt to subsidise their studies, and are
questioning whether it is worth staying on in education.
“The survey results however, suggest that this generation is
planning ahead and offsetting these fears by choosing traditional
academic subjects such as science, IT and engineering, which they
associate with better career prospects.
“This is in stark contrast to recent years, where headlines have
highlighted the popularity of ‘softer’ subjects. Whether this is a
conscious or subconscious reaction to the recession or other
external pressures, British plc should be reassured that our
knowledge economy is safe for a few more years.”
Of note to the UK government, however, should be the lack of
appetite for vocational diplomas, says Gabriel, “With only 28%
pursuing a vocational course at University or college, the
government will have to work harder to demonstrate the benefits of
the new diplomas, and ensure they are of real commercial value to
students and businesses alike.”
Download the Realtime Generation
Survey 2009 Report.
Notes to editors:
Journalists can e-mail logicalis@cohesive.uk.com to request the
full Realtime Generation Report. The UK Realtime Generation Survey
2009 was conducted with one thousand and forty nine (1049) 13–17
year olds online in June/July 2009. The survey was commissioned by
Logicalis, and carried out independently by Clubdtv, a specialist
media entertainment company for the 13-17 year old marketplace.
About Logicalis
Logicalis is an international provider of integrated ICT solutions,
delivering secure, converged computing and communications
infrastructure and services.
We can provide the architecture, deployment, integration and
management of networks and systems to deliver leading edge
solutions that create value for our customers and meet their
business needs now and into the future.
Logicalis is a trusted provider of multi-vendor solutions and
services operating in the most complex and challenging business
environments. Our relationships with the industry's leading
technology suppliers, combined with our business understanding
enable you to invest with confidence.
The Logicalis Group is a division of Datatec Limited (DTC), a
$4.0 billion multi-national Group listed on the AIM market of the
LSE and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. With international
headquarters in the UK, the Logicalis Group has operations in the
US, UK, Germany, and South America.
For further information please contact:
Carina Parmar/Jennifer Manning/Charlotte Sandy
Cohesive Communications
T: +44 (0) 1291 626200
E: Logicalis@cohesive.uk.com