Job outlook good in health, sciences but students not interested

Considering the jobs crisis plaguing the U.S., many of the nation’s unemployed workers are heading back to school for training in fields that show the most growth potential and job availability. Ironically, many of the nation’s high school students are doing the exact opposite, according to the results of a recent survey by Harris Interactive. The report, commissioned by the University of the Sciences, found that 49 percent of high schoolers were “definitely or probably not” going to pursue a career in health care or the sciences. This is up by almost 9 percent from the previous year’s survey.

“The jobs in science and health-care industries are one of the few sectors of the economy that are predicted to increase dramatically over the next decade, and [the interest] is not aligning,” University of the Sciences Provost Russell DiGate told EdWeek.

The two leading reasons behind the lack of interest in a health- or science-related careers were a feeling of having little knowledge about the fields and respondents thinking there were not good enough in science to work in those areas. Twelve percent of the 533 respondents said they did not believe they were academically prepared enough for jobs in the health and science fields. DiGate says it is imperative that educators promote student achievement in those areas.

“If I ask anything of high school science teachers, it would be to not count anybody out,” he said. “Encourage as many people as you can into the field. We need them. They are going to have a great job and be doing good. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

For those respondents who say they are interested in working in the health or science fields, 27 percent said their parents played a critical role in the decision, 11 percent were motivated by teachers, and four percent were encouraged by school guidance counselors.