Are School-Leavers ready for the real world?  Secondary School leavers are around the age of about 18 years old.  They are encouraged by their final year of secondary school to plan and explore their chosen field of study or work. These are big and expensive decisions and lies solely on a very young 18 year old still maturing brain.  Each student is unique in their personalities, social supports and confidence levels and these factors attribute to their career choices. A study conducted by Rogers, Creed and Glendon (2008) reviewed Social Cognition Career Theory (SCCT) as an important process in identifying the importance of individual differences and contextual influences in the career decision-making process.  This is a topic that deserves much research attention as many students do drop out of their chosen field due to incorrect choices made in high school, leaving some very distraught and concerned for their future.  These choices are directly affecting our children and their wellbeing in many ways and more research as to how we can better assist them for their futures should be investigated.

Literature Review  Researchers are discovering the importance of topics deemed as adult making decisions in young people such as school leavers.  Erikson’s theory of identity development (cited in Skorikov & Vondracek 2007, p. 133) explains that adolescent misbehaviour is a consequence of struggling through an ideological crisis and losing a sense of identity in the process.  The pressure of making that one decision can lead to negative outcomes such as delinquency. Students who fail to get the academic scores needed are left feeling deflated and rejected. They are then encouraged to seek alternative choices to a career path they may not truly want and this can lead to further negative consequences.  Stuart (cited in Vondarek &Skorikov, 2007 p.134) viewed schooling and career development as reciprocal influences and believes that career progress affects the experiences of schooling. West (1975) (cited in Vondarek & Skorikov, 2007 p.134) further collaborates with this view as well as suggesting that contemporary schooling inadvertently foster delinquency because the schools often do not increase students chances for success in the further.

RESEARCH QUESTION  Are school leavers ready for work and the real world?  The conception of this idea stems from the notion that at 18 years of age an individual has not yet reached brain maturity. How then can we as a society expect an 18 year old to truly make decisions about their future?  An 18 year old is officially told they can legally drive a vehicle, buy cigarettes and drink at social venues. They are also expected to behave as adults as they have now left schooling. However, these enormous life changing events are put upon an individual who is still growing and maturing.  Some 18 year olds are more matured in thinking and behaving then others. Each 18 year old is expected to know what they are meant to be doing after leaving school.  This research is aimed at each 18 year olds as an individual in relation to their choices of work, study or a gap year after completing high school.

METHOLOGY  Year 12 High school students across the Melbourne area will be randomly selected to take part in a survey. All schools will be invited to participate whether private or public institutions.  A series of questions pertaining to their choice of career, their chosen career pathway and their reason for choosing their specified career choices will be addressed.  An additional survey will be offered to willing participants who have chosen not to study but rather to seek permanent employment either straight after completion of high school or after a gap year. Questions pertaining more to the reason why they have chosen this path for their futures will be asked. This may assist in discovering variables that may hinder a school leaver’s decision for further education.  Once all the data has been collected it, the data will be imputed via volunteering staff into data bases for analysis and interpretation.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS  A request for participation will be sent to the school to pass onto their students and random participants will be selected. The students will be contacted and at a set time and date after school hours in a large room such as their hall, the students will be partake in the survey.  All students will be given anonymity and assured of confidentiality as no personal information is requested and no identification will be required.  A thank you letter will be sent out to the parents, students and the school for their participation and their contribution to helping young people make better choices for their future.