Jóvenes y Aspiraciones de Carrera: Factores Asociados

This brief synthesizes findings of a project that explored the factors shaping career aspirations in Colombian youth. Researchers employed descriptive statistics and interviews and find that although most students in secondary education want to continue with post-secondary studies, women in household with educated mothers and higher income are more likely to aspire to 4-year higher education programs. We also find that career guidance at schools is correlated with a reduction in the percentage of students that do not want to attend postsecondary studies. Interviews show however, that career guidance at school is still insufficient for students to make decisions because schools lack counsellors, and teachers are not adequately trained to support guidance processes. We recommend to assist schools in the development of more systematic guidance practices and provide opportunities for teachers to develop abilities for career guidance.