Dec 10, 2018

Question of the Day: What was the most important consideration in choosing a college major for the Class of 2017?

Answer: Availability of jobs

Questions:

  • Why do you think that job availability is so important for recent college graduates? 
  • As you consider education beyond high school, what are the factors you will consider in picking a course of study or major? 
  • Do you think the expected career paths match up with the jobs of the future? 

Here's the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.

Behind the numbers (from Visual Capitalist)

For Generation Z, an education is often seen as an end to a financial means. In other words, college is an opportunity to build a set of skills that will be valuable to employers, ensuring a stable career. That’s why 88% of the first Gen Z grad class in 2017 ended up choosing their majors with job availability in mind.

 

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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