Education Sector Booms as Gen Z Grads Turn Away from Tech Careers

Gen Z graduates are increasingly choosing stable, lower-paid careers in education for job security and work-life balance.

There’s a preference among Gen Z college graduates in the U.K. to pursue more traditional/stable careers over high-paying tech jobs.

According to LinkedIn’s latest U.K. Workforce Insights, the education sector has become the fastest-growing industry for new graduates in the U.K. — with roles such as teachers, lecturers, and learning support assistants being listed as top jobs.

The U.K.’s fastest growing industries among U.K. college graduates were:

Education
Utilities
Oil, Gas, Mining
Consumer Services
Construction
Government administration
Hospitals and healthcare
Transportation, logistics, supply chain and storage
Wholesale
Financial services

The data compares the share of hiring in that industry in 2023 versus 2022.

Fortune reports that the hiring trends are driven by several factors, including the desire for greater job security and a better work-life balance. Despite lower starting salaries, for example in education — where a starting teacher salary reportedly ranges from £28,000 to £40,000 ($35,700-$51,000) — the stability and benefits of these roles are proving more attractive to young professionals.

This is on top of the fact that last year, the tech industry experienced massive layoffs during economic uncertainties (like rising interest).

One recent survey published by TechSpace of 2,000 tech employees based in the U.K. revealed more tech employees are opting for more days in the office each week, preferring to come in the office at least three days a week (or 3.35 days, to be precise). However, this is likely due in-part to increased worries of job security.

The data shows how an increasing number of young professionals are seeking roles that offer greater job security and work-life balance.