“My child is doing well in school but has no idea what to study.”
“Should we choose IB, AP, or a regular secondary school program?”
“Could today’s course choices limit future Canadian university options?”
Many families begin asking these questions only when a student is entering secondary school or preparing university applications. OECD research suggests that exploration should begin earlier.
About four in ten students lack a clear career expectation
OECD analysis of PISA 2022 found that about four in ten 15-year-olds across OECD countries could not name the occupation they expected to have at age 30. Career uncertainty increased by an average of 14 percentage points between 2018 and 2022.
This does not mean a 15-year-old must choose a lifelong career. Interests and goals should evolve. The important question is whether the student is actively learning about their strengths, possible fields, and the choices that keep appropriate options open.
How career direction relates to later outcomes
OECD reviewed longitudinal research involving about 70,000 young people across eight countries. In 15 of 19 analyses, teenagers who could express a clearer occupational expectation later experienced more positive employment outcomes, such as a lower risk of being out of education or work, higher earnings, and stronger career or life satisfaction.
These are statistical associations, not proof that choosing a career early guarantees success. A preliminary direction can, however, help students understand why they are learning and which experiences they should seek next.
The issue is not uncertainty—it is a lack of exploration
Healthy uncertainty involves comparing fields, taking courses, trying activities, and reflecting on experience. Students need not have one final answer, but they should be able to investigate questions such as:
- Which subjects and activities genuinely interest me?
- Which fields fit my strengths, learning style, and personality?
- What education, skills, and experience do different careers require?
- Which options will my current courses keep open or close?
- What experience could help me test my assumptions?
Why Canadian education planning should start earlier
Canadian education is flexible, but programs vary by province, school, and school board. Secondary school courses can affect eligibility for university programs in engineering, business, computer science, health sciences, art, and design. Schools also differ in their IB, AP, French immersion, STEM, arts, co-operative education, and career-exploration opportunities.
School selection should therefore consider:
- academic readiness and learning style
- interests and possible career directions
- available courses and specialized programs
- university prerequisites
- extracurricular, volunteer, co-op, and workplace opportunities
- language development and transition needs
- the family’s longer-term education plans
Concrete exploration can reduce uncertainty
After accounting for factors such as academic performance and social background, PISA 2022 data associated several career-development activities with lower uncertainty. Students who researched occupations online were 51% less likely to be uncertain; those who researched post-secondary programs were 43% less likely; those who spoke with a career advisor were 25% less likely; and those who completed an interest questionnaire were 18% less likely.
Direction rarely appears while a student waits. Research, conversation, experience, and reflection turn broad interests into options that can be tested.
How families can help
- Begin with the student’s interests, abilities, and personality—not university rankings.
- Translate possible careers into programs and prerequisites that can be researched.
- Review Canadian university prerequisites early.
- Arrange workplace visits, camps, volunteering, extracurricular activities, or mentor conversations.
- Revisit the plan and allow it to change as the student learns more.
- Seek professional advice at major school, course-selection, and application milestones.
Good education planning does not decide a child’s future for them. It gives each choice a clear reason.
How iPerform Education supports families
Our advisors assess the student’s academic background, language proficiency, interests, personality, learning style, and long-term goals. We help families compare provinces, school boards, schools, and programs; review prerequisites; build an appropriate school list and application strategy; and connect students with education or career mentors who have relevant experience.
A student does not need to know exactly what they will do ten years from now. They should begin understanding themselves, exploring possibilities, and identifying a practical next step.
Explore Canadian school matching
Contact an iPerform Education advisor
Source: OECD (2024), Teenage Career Uncertainty: Why It Matters and How to Reduce It, PISA 2022.