CHICAGO, Oct. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- With student loan debt higher than ever and young people struggling with both unemployment and underemployment, preparing for the future is more critical than ever. To this end, today CareerBuilder unveiled Find Your Calling, a free national website to help students and their parents discover ideal career and education options based on their own interests and personalities. Visitors to the interactive site can view comprehensive, easy-to-use, real-time labor market data for any occupation — from job growth projections, salary ranges and businesses that are hiring to college programs they can apply to today.
"The skills gap in our country is in large part an 'information gap' — many young people are unaware of jobs that are in high-demand, pay well, and are aligned with what they're passionate about," said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder and co-author of "The Talent Equation." "Find Your Calling is our way to help solve the youth unemployment problem in the U.S. and replace guesswork with eye-opening data needed to choose the right career. The information is presented in a fun, engaging way to empower students to take on 21st century jobs."
The Challenge
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that workers with no college experience are twice as likely to be unemployed than those with a bachelor's degree or higher. However, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, 41 percent of college freshmen who began seeking a bachelor's degree in 2007 never completed it six years later.
Part of the college dropout rate may be attributed to uncertainties around education and career choices. A nationwide CareerBuilder study found that 41 percent of workers wish they had more guidance when choosing their career.1 Moreover, another CareerBuilder study found that nearly one in four high school seniors (24 percent) said they have no idea what career they want to pursue.2
Of high school seniors who have identified which career they want to pursue, 23 percent said they made their career choice based on something they saw on TV or in a movie. One third (34 percent) relied on advice from parents or other family members, 19 percent were influenced by their teachers and half (53 percent) researched careers online, according to the CareerBuilder study.
The Solution
CareerBuilder worked with economists at its subsidiary Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. (EMSI) to launch a powerful website with everything young people need to know about choosing a career based on data from more than 100 national, state and local employment resources. It was first showcased during a meeting at the White House to help address youth unemployment.
Find Your Calling puts data science and helpful insights behind choosing careers. Visitors on Find Your Calling start with a simple, interactive personality test for careers. Based on those answers, the student is presented with top careers that match their interests, which he or she can explore by diving further into associated career options. Find Your Calling offers details about each specific occupation, including average salary and market demand, as well as an overview of the required education, including associated majors and schools that specialize in the field. Students can mold their career path by coming back to the site as many times as desired.
"Millions of young people want to find that truly meaningful career, but struggle amid a deluge of hundreds of career and education options," said Rob Sentz, chief innovation officer of EMSI. "Find Your Calling is designed to help students and parents become more informed career and education consumers, and dispel the disconnect between students and future employers by providing simple, but compelling data that is easy to digest and immediately actionable."
1 CareerBuilder's "The Shocking Truth About the Skills Gap" report, 2014
2 CareerBuilder's Q2 2015 nationwide survey of 210 high school seniors conducted by Harris Poll, June 2015
Additional Resources
- Visit www.findyourcalling.com
- Like CareerBuilder for Employers on Facebook
- Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter
About EMSI
Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. (EMSI) is a CareerBuilder company that provides industry-leading employment data and economic analysis via web tools and custom reports. EMSI turns vast amounts of labor market data into easy-to-use information that helps organizations understand the connection between economies, people, and work, and ultimately build a better workforce. EMSI's web tools - Analyst and Career Coach - are used by thousands of professionals in higher education, workforce and economic development, and the private sector. EMSI has also produced more than 1,200 comprehensive impact analyses for colleges and universities in the U.S. and internationally.
About CareerBuilder®
As the global leader in human capital solutions, CareerBuilder specializes in cutting-edge HR software as a service to help companies with every step of the recruitment process from acquire to hire. CareerBuilder works with top employers across industries, providing job distribution, sourcing, workflow, CRM, data and analytics in one pre-hire platform. It also operates leading job sites around the world. Owned by TEGNA Inc. (NYSE:TGNA), Tribune Media (NYSE:TRCO) and The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI), CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, South America, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.
Media Contact
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jennifer.grasz@careerbuilder.com
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SOURCE CareerBuilder
