Misconceptions keeping potential workers from attaining lucrative and secure jobs
The Metro Denver WIRED Initiative recently commissioned a poll regarding career attitudes. The poll was conducted after participants in WIRED industry panels (aerospace, bioscience, energy, and information technology-software) reported that various misperceptions were preventing the next generation of workers from considering a career in their industries. WIRED set out to determine if these misperceptions existed, and if so, the source. With this knowledge, WIRED has begun to work with its partners in the community, industry, workforce, education, and economic development to devise solutions to overcome these challenges.
The Metro Denver WIRED Initiative commissioned Hill Research Consultants to conduct the poll. Numbers of each group that were interviewed included 300 students in grades 8-12, 303 parents of students in grades 8-12, 150 high school teachers, 50 high school career counselors, 77 community college students, and 76 job seekers from the public workforce system.
Key findings from the poll include:
- Students receiving better grades were less interested in salary and wages and more interested in the activities of a typical workday than students receiving poorer grades.
- A strong majority of parents said they discussed career plans with their children, however, this same group of parents said they were unfamiliar with four growing Metro Denver industries.
- A high percentage from all groups polled reported a poor understanding of the training and coursework needed for employment in one of the four WIRED industries.
- Industry insiders and the Internet are considered the top channels of information about careers. Guidance counselors, teachers, coaches, and parents are considered less influential.