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Many young people have no idea what they want to do. How could they?
Photo: Alina Rudya / Bell Collective / Getty Images
Silence reigns in the classroom of the Kevelaer comprehensive school. Ask the students, all between the ages of 16 and 18, to write down what others appreciate about them and what brings them joy. An exercise to determine which professions might suit them. But most of the tablets that the students use here remain empty.
Last year, against all expectations, these students qualified for the Abitur. In primary school, most of them were given a recommendation for a secondary school or a secondary school. Now, suddenly, career opportunities are open to them that they could not have imagined before. "If no one believes in you, at some point you won't believe in yourself," says student Alan, summing up the problem. He is one of the few who knows what he wants: to study mechanical engineering in Aachen. Many others are overwhelmed.
Now it can be said that young people have always been overwhelmed by the question of what they want to be when they grow up. But the collaboration with this school class is made clear to me once again: Gen Z is having a particularly hard time, thanks to the pandemic, inflation and digitalization. And their disorientation not only poses a major challenge for them – but can also pose a threat to the economy in the long term.
According to the latest report on vocational education and training, 25 per cent of training contracts in Germany are terminated prematurely. It's a similar story at universities. The German Centre for Higher Education Studies records an equally high drop-out rate for bachelor's degree programmes.
For the young people themselves, the reorientation costs them time and energy. It also entails real costs for businesses and the state treasury.
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In a course at the Kevelaer comprehensive school, I therefore wanted to give young people an insight into the working practices of potential training companies. In a podcast, the students interviewed regional companies. In many places, it became clear how great the uncertainty is with regard to the professional future. But I also saw what resources the students bring to the table: empathetic interaction with each other, a critical attitude and a great curiosity. Future skills from which Germany as a business location will still benefit – if we take young people by the hand.
Internships cannot simply be made up for
The first hurdle students had to overcome was the pandemic. Kathrin Jansen is responsible for career orientation at the school and knows what invisible traces Corona has left behind: "This year in particular has been hit by the pandemic, because the young people should actually have done their internships during this time." However, many companies did not offer internships, and in other companies, everyday work was severely distorted. Even a two- or three-week internship is extremely important for career orientation. A first insight that ensures that young people decide for or against an industry.
In the meantime, the restrictions of the pandemic have been lifted for the most part, and theoretically one could now catch up on practical experience. Student Silja, for example, did a voluntary internship during the school holidays: "That was good," she says, but: "You have to be able to afford it." Many in the course can't do that. Most of them work after school, waitressing in the local restaurants. Not unusual: In the years 2018 to 2020, around 42 percent of 17-year-olds had a part-time job, according to a study by the German Economic Institute (IW). For example, you save up for your driver's license. The driver's license now costs almost 3000 euros, which is later required in many professions, especially in rural areas.
New professions need to be explained
The opportunities for practical experience lost due to the pandemic can therefore only be made up for to a limited extent. One possibility would be to fill this gap with at least theoretical information. But the majority of students in Germany feel badly advised professionally. In a survey conducted by the Bertelsmann Stiftung, 25 percent of them said that the information was insufficient. 53 percent criticize that the information is sufficient, but difficult to penetrate.
What exacerbates this information gap is digitalization. The job content has changed a lot in recent years. For example, marketing is no longer exclusively about the creative planning of campaigns, but primarily about evaluating digital customer data. Some apprenticeships have even been created from scratch. The only problem is that this is hardly explained to students.
Dedicated teachers such as career orientation officer Kathrin Jansen try to impart information in addition to their actual teaching activities, but simply come up against time limits. As an individual, keeping up to date with the digitalization processes in all industries and communicating them to the more than 1000 students at the comprehensive school would be at least a full-time job for Jansen.
In the seminar, the skills become apparent
In the seminar, the students talk to the hospital in Kevelaer. The students Rhythm and Alyie inform themselves about the profession of anesthesia technical assistant, which has only been recognized by the state as a separate training since 2022. This includes, among other things, anesthesia support before an operation and the maintenance of medical instruments.
Rhythm and Alyie think aloud why there is now a special training: "You read again and again in the media that operations are carried out that are not actually necessary" – "Or is it because old people are operated on more often?" Regardless of which profession they choose one day: In my opinion, this critical attitude and the courage to question certain things are among the most important qualities that employees will have to bring with them in the future.
A skill that many young people already have: the intuitive use of technology. The students set up the podcast equipment with ease, connect their tablets to the smartboard in the classroom with just a few clicks and independently develop a sound concept for our podcast.
But they also see potential risks from technology. One company, for example, presents the profession of media designer. "Is the training still worthwhile if artificial intelligence can already design images and surfaces today?" the students want to know from their interviewee. "Yes, but further training is essential," says the expert.
What professions can young people afford?
I observe: Trying things out in practice opens up new visions of the future for the students. Melisa's friend Ceylan was responsible for the production and edited a podcast episode. "I didn't think I'd enjoy the technical part so much," she says. So far, she has been aiming for a career as a civil servant at the tax office. "I think I have a great need for security," she says. During a dual study program, she could earn money directly and would be independent.
This shows that economic constraints also influence the students' career orientation. Germany likes to adorn itself with the word equal opportunities, but the truth is that entry into many professions comes with a price tag. Ceylan's parents work as bus drivers and bakery saleswomen. For the student, it's not just a question of which profession could make her happy. It is also about the question of how she finances her professional career. "I could also imagine working as a criminal psychologist. It just takes a really long time to study," she says. At a time when KfW's state education loan is twice as expensive as a real estate loan, Ceylan's doubts are justified.
What could help: an expansion of dual courses of study, more and, above all, less bureaucratic financial support for trainees and students. Ceylan should know how to apply for financial aid even as a student.
Despite all the challenges, the students are more optimistic about their career opportunities on the day of our last session. They are full of energy, have gained practical relevance and made their first contacts. Now it is important that companies also acknowledge the difficult career orientation and give Gen Z a glimpse into the world of work. If this does not succeed, we may face even higher dropout rates and a generation whose career entry will be further delayed. This is a development that must be prevented in times of a shortage of skilled workers.
In the end, I am convinced that only through practical and authentic career orientation can we further develop the existing skills of this generation and use them in the economy as quickly as possible.