Survey finds young people bored, intimidated by tech industry jobs

By John Yaukey
Gannett News Service

So much for Generation D, as in digital.

Not as many young people are interested in high-tech careers as you might think based on their love of gadgets, according to a recent survey. And of those students not planning on tech jobs, a substantial number have negative perceptions of the field.

Some 39 percent said that high-tech careers are boring, while 25 percent said these jobs are downright intimidating.

The survey of 2,500 students in grades 8 through 11 was conducted by the consulting firm A.T. Kearney.

The results are scheduled to be published as part of the 2002 Workforce Study: Connecting Today's Youth with Tomorrow's Careers.

The findings worry tech industry watchers because they portend an even more severe talent shortfall than the tech industry suffers already. The tech sector is among the strongest supporters of proposed visa exemptions that would allow foreign workers with high-tech training and experience to remain in the United States longer.

Among the other survey findings:

• 61 percent of Hispanic students reported having some understanding of two or more high-tech professions, compared with 80 percent of black students, 79 percent of Asian students and 76 percent of white students.
• More males were interested in high-tech careers than females by a ratio of almost 2 to 1. Additionally, 78 percent of male students said they were familiar with at least two high-tech professions, compared with 68 percent of female respondents.