HR Industry News

TV contributing to skills shortage

— 10 July 2007 —

Film and television could be contributing to a national skills shortage according to new research into the career ambitions of secondary school pupils.

A poll conducted by B-live.com found that the nation’s next generation of workers are being drawn towards jobs they have seen on television.

As a result, if they followed their current ambitions, there will only be two builders or agricultural workers available for every five that are needed. And for every four care workers required, there will be only one.

Skills shortages in key sectors such as IT also look set to continue as only seven per cent of the 1,700 respondents wanted careers in computers and technology, preferring veterinary and architecture instead.

Four in 10 said they had no idea about what career path they would follow. Less than half said they used their school careers centre and had found it to be helpful, while a third of students had never been to a careers centre before.

B-live.com managing director, Tanja Kuveljic, said there is a strong preference for jobs that receive a high profile on television and in films including doctors, vets, paramedics, lawyers, the police and chefs.

This is the cool careers culture and less glamorous jobs and those which are poorly paid are ignored, she added.

Del.icio.us Digg Newsvine Reddit Technorati Google