Report: Nearly Half of Teens Surveyed are Interested in Careers in the STEM and Medical Fields

Today’s teens want to pursue careers that will provide both financial rewards and job satisfaction. To gauge teens’ perspectives on their ideal careers and what steps they will need to take to get on their desired career path, Junior Achievement USA and the ING Foundation recently conducted their 12th annual Teens & Careers Survey.

The survey’s key findings show that nearly half of the teens surveyed (46 percent) are interested in careers in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and medical fields. This represents a decrease of 15 percent in the number of teens interested in those careers compared to 2012. Junior Achievement believes that this decrease can be attributed to a lack of awareness among teens around the important career opportunities in these sectors. 

Working with schools and parents, Junior Achievement aims to increase teens’ understanding of opportunities in high-growth sectors, such as STEM, through career exploration and role modeling provided by JA volunteers.

Source: Junior Achievement USA