Every fifth high school student plans to move abroad after finishing school

Only 24.9% of students in grades 10-11 have already decided on their future profession, and 19% of schoolchildren plan to live and work abroad. Another 29% see no opportunities for professional fulfillment. The results of a national study on how teenagers choose a profession are reported by this and mentioned by Ukrainian truth.

Most high school students have not yet decided on a profession

According to the survey, 21.1% of students in grades 8-9 and 24.9% of high school students have a clear idea about their future specialty. At the same time, 40% of those surveyed have not yet thought about where they will live and work after school.

Plans regarding professional future are distributed as follows:

• 19% want to live and work abroad;

• 18% see opportunities for a career in their community;

• 29% see no opportunities for professional realization.

Some students are considering moving to the regional center or Kyiv. Reasons include higher salaries, greater job selection, better educational prospects, infrastructure, and security situation. To prepare for informed choices, Ukraine is changing the profile education system.

Salary is important, but students also consider the work content

Most often, students indicated that the level of future income is important-this criterion was chosen by 75% of survey participants. Interest in the profession and the possibility of self-realization are important for 65%, while safe working conditions are important for 29%.

One of the 13-year-old participants from Lviv region expressed her concern about future work: 'The hardest part is that there may be a very small salary but a very heavy workload.'

The research covered 111,355 students from grades 8-11 in 390 communities across 24 regions. A further 277,007 respondents from 396 communities were surveyed separately. These data show that for many teenagers, the choice of profession is related not only to interests but also to expectations regarding pay, safety, and prospects in their region. Some young people can already try themselves in the job market through summer job opportunities for students.