Reshaping Educational and Career Pathways

University or gap year? College or apprenticeship? School in-state or out-of-state?  As more of Generation Z enters their post-high school lives, their dependency on technology and shifting attitudes have fundamentally reshaped the learning process.

This generation is more open to changing societal standards and more of them are okay with the idea of going back to get another degree or changing their majors and taking on new sets of credit requirements. Whether they are looking for higher availability of jobs or a more creative career, this change has been seen at UNLV’s College of Education.

“From the educator perspective, we have increased enrollment at the masters level because people are choosing different career pathways after graduation.” UNLV professor Sophie Ladd said. “Indecisiveness is a common pattern because they are not sure which career path they should take. I also see that across campus from students switching majors in their junior or senior year.”

While about 65% of Gen Z aspire to create their own jobs and work for themselves, they are also showing a declining work ethic. More than one-third of Gen Z won’t tolerate being forced to work when they don’t want to, and they’re no more likely to work than millennials, whose employment rates were already at record lows.

“I appreciate that Gen Z and younger Millennials have the ability to set really clear and healthy workplace boundaries, and that is one of their strengths,” Fashion Design teacher Levi Harbeson said. “The only problem with them is that they don’t have the experience that allows them to have a balanced work ethic. They blame everything on the pandemic and love to say that they can’t do it because of it but in the real world, you will have to live through those conditions.”

Although Generation Z has increased admission rates in college, they are still struggling to grasp the realistic aspects of life after high school. Counselor Elizabeth Hare has noticed that more students care less about the school experience and instead think that the grade matters more.

“So many kids meet with me regarding motivation,” Hare said. “Often it isn’t motivation, but self-discipline. Students struggle doing monotonous tasks. They get bored and switch to something else.”

As the work ethic standard is changing, the importance of a college reputation is as well. While more of Gen Z is enrolling in college, parts of the generation are also placing less emphasis on keeping to the normal college process and favoring more unconventional paths. Las Vegas native turned Durham University student Maci Taylor graduated from Cal State Eastbay in 2021 and was unable to enter a normal graduate school. Taylor’s self-paced master’s program has allowed her to travel the world while also receiving an education. Within the past eight months, Taylor has been to a variety of European countries and because of her school-life balance, she can get up to leave at almost any time.

“As of today, I am in Cyprus playing with island cats and soaking in every moment before I go back and finish finals and then go back home,” Taylor said. “So while I will have to get another Master’s degree when I come back to the States and am not due with my educational career, I have had more unique experiences that make me a better student and overall person.” Over the past decade, more people have taken advantage of these rare experiences and it is preparing the upcoming generation for the world outside of school. Nowadays, it matters less if someone doesn’t have their life figured out right after high school because they have the chance to go back to college and sample different careers. For junior Kamryn Baldenebro, higher education seems overwhelming when less certain about her overall career. But, taking responsibility to make an independent choice may be a struggle for Gen Z.

“I have no idea what career I want to do,” Baldenebro said. “I’m not sure if I even want to go to college at all right now. My brother is doing what he loves to do and he never went to college. He has no student loan debt and has been an advocate for not needing to go to college to be successful. After starting off as a valet, he is now a certified EMT, has no debt, is living his dream and never went to college.”

While this generation takes on more unique paths and tries not to fall into what could be considered a “basic” career, more people, Taylor’s experiences have come with difficulties.

“I have been able to travel all over Europe and because I am already in the continent, I have even more opportunities to do it,” Taylor said. “If I see a cheap flight to Italy, this is my chance to take it. Once I’m in Italy, if a flight home is cheaper than leaving from Germany, it looks like flying to Germany is my best option. And while I have been able to do this all, being 5,000 miles away from home has been the most difficult part. I’ve missed out on holidays and family events that I would normally be at. Through the struggles of homesickness, illness and doing everything on my own, missing those few things has given me the strength to tackle anything further.”

After playing water polo at Eastbay and earning her undergraduate degree, Taylor received a water polo scholarship to study Cognitive Neuroscience in the United Kingdom. She took on the conventional college path, traveled the world and gets to follow her dreams without having to worry about her future. While some of the generation’s dreams are too big, Taylor is one of the generation’s success stories.

“This experience has changed my entire outlook on life. There is so much life outside of the bubble we grow up in and everyone should find the opportunity to experience different cultures, and studying in the UK has given me many opportunities of traveling, meeting new people, and creating lifelong memories and friends,” Taylor said. “I now have some of the best friends I have had and I get to travel the world to see them in the future.”