New Delhi India, Aug 31 : The Covid-19 pandemic has led more than half of Gen Z to consider a different career path, according to a global survey by INTO University Partnerships, an independent organisation committed to expanding higher education and career opportunities for students across the globe.
The research shows that since the onset of the pandemic, 55 per cent of under 25s across the world have actively contemplated new career options. In India, 57 per cent have considered a different career.
The survey shows 47 per cent of Gen Z students in India are looking for a career that offers a better work-life balance. Also, almost half (45 per cent) of Gen Z hope to one day become entrepreneurs and launch their own businesses.
Over 1,200 Gen Z students from 93 countries took part in the INTO survey conducted earlier this month. This included India, China, Nigeria, Kenya, Japan, Australia and Brazil among others.
Gen Z make up 30 per cent of the global population. The survey shows a strong trend among young people wanting to start their own business as a preferred career option.
The majority also consider an international degree as the gateway to realising their career dreams in the new normal.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has radically altered the attitudes and career aspirations of Gen Z. This change will come to define the world of higher education and work,” said Olivia Streatfeild, CEO of INTO University Partnerships.
“It is absolutely critical that governments, universities and the industry are primed for this shift among young people to support a whole generation that is eager to learn and work differently,” she said.
The survey also shows that the catastrophic impact of Covid-19 on lives and economies has failed to dent the hopes and aspirations of Gen Z as they are more optimistic than ever about their future.
India leads the way in this regard, with an overwhelming 94 per cent of Gen Z students saying they have a positive outlook on their future after a year and a half disrupted by the pandemic.
The survey shows studying abroad to be inextricably linked to career goals in the minds of Gen-Z students. Acquiring knowledge and skills needed to succeed in life came out as the top reason to pursue an international degree, with 90 per cent of students surveyed globally agreeing that this motivated them to study abroad.
In India, 86 per cent believe an international degree offers them the best chance to realise their dreams.
Diwakar Chandiok, INTO’s Recruitment Director for South Asia, said the survey shows Gen Z students in India see international education as a major route to enhancing their career prospects and despite the impact of Covid-19 their interest in studying abroad has only risen further.
“It is clearly evidenced by a record number of over 55,000 student and exchange visitor visas issued by the US this year. Although UK figures have not been released yet, the market trends suggest a strong interest among Gen Z for UK academic institutions,” he said.
The majority of India Gen Z students — 84 per cent — also agree that training for a specific career is an important reason to go overseas for higher education.
Streatfeild said the current generation of students are more outcome-oriented than their predecessors.
“They demand concrete returns on their investment in an international degree. It is on those of us in the international education sector to facilitate their success and work to ensure they get what they deserve from their studies abroad,” she said.
