Building a technical education superpower starts with career aspirations

A recent report by former cabinet minister Alan Milburn argued that Britain should become a “technical education superpower” to address skills shortages in engineering, manufacturing, healthcare, construction, digital technology and green energy. In a recent speech at the People’s History Museum in Manchester, Andy Burnham echoed this call, pledging to rebalance England’s education system by placing academic and technical education on an equal footing.

As policymakers debate how to strengthen technical education, an equally important question is often overlooked: what careers do young people aspire to before they make future education choices?

In our paper on “Career motivations and perceptions of teaching of 16–19-year-olds in England and Wales”, we surveyed 672 secondary school students aged 16–19 from schools and colleges across England and Wales about the careers they aspired to and how these aspirations differed across groups of young people. Students rated their interest in a range of career sectors, including technology, science, mathematics, healthcare, teaching and the creative industries. Career aspirations matter because they influence the subjects young people choose, the qualifications they pursue and, ultimately, the opportunities they consider available to them.

Our findings reveal significant gender differences in aspirations that are already evident during secondary school. Boys expressed significantly greater interest in technology and mathematics-related careers, while girls were more interested in healthcare, teaching and creative careers.

These differences may help explain why women remain underrepresented in technical education pathways in the UK. Girls account for just 24% of A-level Physics entrants, around 12% of Engineering and Manufacturing T Level students, and approximately 17% of engineering and technology apprenticeship starts. By the time young people are choosing A-levels, T Levels or apprenticeships, many of the aspirations that shape these decisions are already well established.

If Britain is serious about becoming a technical education superpower, expanding technical pathways alone will not be enough. Policymakers also need to understand how career aspirations develop and why girls are less likely than boys to aspire to technology-related careers. Early careers education, exposure to diverse role models, and targeted interventions during secondary school are likely to be just as important as reforms to post-16 education if we are to broaden participation in STEM and build the workforce needed for the future.

Written by Dr Sophie Thompson-Lee