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36% of teens say they would consider a career in tech, but perceived barriers and lack of career information persist

Tokyo – New research published by CompTIA, the leading trade association for the global technology industry, finds that teenagers in Japan believe that technology is generally moving in a positive direction and is a force for good that will play an even greater role in their lives as they grow older.

The CompTIA report “International Youth Perspectives of Technology and Careers” reveals that 36 percent of the Japanese teenagers surveyed would consider a career in technology. Japanese teens are generally positive about what a job in tech entails – solving problems, doing work that’s interesting and fun and earning a good salary.

But the survey also finds that barriers are still in place that may be keeping even more young people from looking at the technology field as a profession. More than 1,500 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 from 11 different countries[1]  participated in the online survey.

“It’s encouraging to see that a sizeable percentage of young people see tech as a viable career option,” said Dennis Kwok, CompTIA vice president, skills certification, for the Asia-Pacific region. “But it’s also quite apparent that we still have work to do to correct misperceptions about tech occupations and to provide career instruction and resources that reflect the reality of the 21^st Century tech workforce.”

For example, the data shows that 30 percent of teens feel they lack the preparation and exposure to technology in high school or college. Also, 23 percent of Japanese teenagers are of the opinion that tech careers are out of reach because they are too difficult to enter. A Like percentage indicate that education or training options are too expensive.

The report also confirms that gender bias is still present when it comes to career advice. Boys in Japan receive higher levels of encouragement from parents, teachers, peers and other to consider a career in tech than girls do (35 percent vs. 16 percent).

When teens were asked about specific career opportunities in tech, the most popular choices are designing video games, designing apps for smartphones and web design.

“These are all great career choices, but there are many more job roles in tech that provide the opportunity to earn a good salary, take on new and greater responsibilities and, most importantly, have a positive impact on society,” Kwok said. “We need to expand our outreach to get that message out to the next generations of workers.”

Interacting with Technology

Among Japanese teenagers, 45 percent generally believe that technology is moving in a positive direction compared to 9 percent who feel that tech is heading in a negative direction and 46 percent who are unsure. The corresponding global figures are 54 percent positive, 11 percent negative and 35 percent unsure.

Factors contributing to the positive feelings include the expectation that technology will continue to get faster, better and more feature rich; and offer more choices to meet the needs of just about everyone.  

Nearly 60 percent of young people in Japan report seeing or hearing something about automating technologies and the future of work. They also expressed a degree of concern over the uncertainty of automation.

“Teens astutely anticipate the need for more training and hands-on experience in various technology disciplines to ensure that they are well positioned for the workplace of tomorrow,” said Anna Matthai, senior manager, research and market intelligence, CompTIA.

To access a free copy of the full report “International Youth Perspectives of Technology and Careers” visit  https://comptiacdn.azureedge.net/webcontent/docs/default-source/research-reports/comptia-international-youth-technology-and-career-perceptions.pdf?sfvrsn=f0dfb41e_2.

For all the latest news from CompTIA visit https://www.comptia.org/newsroom.

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The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the more than 50 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world’s economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce. Visit www.comptia.org to learn more.

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CompTIA
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