Human influence outweighs AI for careers advice
Insight from senior phase pupils across Scotland highlights importance of career influences
Young people are using artificial intelligence for careers information but parents and careers advisers remain the most trusted influencers.
One in five pupils said that they have used AI – with around four in five of those saying it was useful.
However, parents and carers – alongside careers advisers are the biggest influencers on young people’s career decisions.
Parents and carers are top influencers on 79 per cent followed by careers advisers, on 66 per cent, and teachers, 59 per cent.
Around nine out of ten senior phase pupils agreed their conversations helped them understand how their experience and learning can inform career choices.
Young people rated the support received in one-to-one conversations with advisers highly, particularly being listened to, supported to make their own decisions and being directed to useful information.
Among wider sources of careers information, 93 per cent of young people who had spoken to someone with experience of their career or job of interest found this useful.
Head of Careers Information, Advice and Guidance at SDS, Dave McCallum, said: “Young people are making choices in a world where there is more information and more ways to access it than ever before. What this research reinforces is the importance they continue to place on trusted, professional careers support.
“Our role is to listen, help young people recognise their strengths, understand their opportunities and give them the confidence to make informed choices about their future.
“Their voice is also vital in helping us continually improve Scotland’s career service and ensure it responds to what young people need.”
The findings are part of the annual pupil voice research from Skills Development Scotland (SDS) who run the national career service.
The nationwide survey took in the views of almost 9,000 pupils from S4 to S6 with respondents from every local authority area.
Its findings have been shared as part of Scottish Careers Week from 9 to 13 November. The week aims to highlight the wide range of careers and job pathways in Scotland, alongside the support available for people to realise their potential.
National skills and workforce agency SDS offers free professional Career Information Advice and Guidance (CIAG) in more than 700 schools and community venues across Scotland. SDS advisers use local and national labour market intelligence about growth industries to help people of all ages make choices about rewarding careers.
Last year SDS advisers supported more than 310,000 people across Scotland with careers information advice and guidance including pupils, school-leavers, adults and those facing redundancy.
Findings are shared with partners from the Scottish Government, Education Scotland, Qualifications Scotland, Scottish Funding Council, Developing the Young Workforce, Edinburgh Napier University, Youth Link Scotland, the Open University, MCR Pathways, Young Scot, College Development Network, NHS Scotland and the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland.
Visit the CIAG Research page to find out more about the Pupil Voice evaluation and research work.
