Parents have a significant influence on their children's education and career decisions according to a new study. 57% of students reported their parents influenced them a fair amount or hugely in their key choices. While 73% said their parents never discussed alternatives to university, 76% of students said their parents encouraged attending university. The level of parental influence depends on factors like parents' education levels, where they live, and whether their children attended public or private schools. Parents who attended university themselves exert more influence, such as helping with applications, than those without degrees.

1. Parents: exercising a significant
and growing influence on their
children’s key decisions
Chris Phillips, Research Director, GTI/TARGETcareers

2. Trendence and school leaver research
• Research into parental influence
December 2014
– Undergraduates
– Parents
– Careers advisers
– HELOA members
– Employers
• Trendence School Leaver Barometer 2014
Years 10-13 plans for study and work
– 7,000 students
– Produced annually

3. New careers products for 2015areechool
leaver print products
The UK’s 100 most popular employers for School Leavers
Features over 100 UK employers as voted for by 7,000 school students and
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Employer ranking product aimed at school and FE college students
50,000 copies circulated free to students and careers contacts at over
4,000 schools and FE Colleges plus digital editions
TARGETcareers Construction, Engineering & Property
Mainly for employers in these sectors to promote alternatives to
university
Print copies distributed to key contacts at every school and FE
college in the UK, along with the digital version

4. THE HEADLINES
PARENTS ARE INFLUENTIAL
THANK GOD

5. • Only 7% of students believe that parents
have had no influence on their key
education and career choices
• 57% believe that parents have
influenced them a fair amount or a huge
amount

6. “AND THEY ARE RIGHT TO
BE...”
SAY THEIR KIDS

7. • 66% think it’s the right thing for parents to do
• Only 7% think it’s wrong
• 69% of students say that their parents tried to
influence their choice of university/degree
• 54% their choice of career

8. UNIVERSITY – THE DEFAULT
OPTION

9. • 76% of students say that their parents
encouraged them to go to university
• 70% of parents say they would or did
encourage their children to go to
university

10. ALTERNATIVES TO
UNIVERSITY
PARENTS IN THE DARK

11. • 73% of students say that their parents
never discussed alternatives to
university with them
• 25% of parents say that they didn’t
discuss alternatives because they
believed that university was a much
better choice

12. PARENTS ON HAND TO HELP

13. • 56% of students say that their parents
accompanied them to university open
days
• 47% have had some help with job
applications and interviews
• 39% of students say that their parents
have offered to put them in touch with
family, friends or work colleagues

14. INFLUENCE IS NOT A
CONSTANT

15. It changes depending on:
• Whether parents have been to
university
• Where they live
• What they do for a living
• Whether their children have studied at
state school or an independent school
• Whether the children are boys or girls

16. IT’S WHO YOU KNOW...

17. • The level of parental influence is much higher
for students who were independently
educated
• Parents of independently educated students
are much more likely to put their children in
touch with family, friends and work
colleagues
• But parents of independently educated
students are less likely to attend university
open days

18. PARENTS WHO HAVE A
DEGREE

19. • The level of influence exerted by
parents who had been to university is
much higher than that of parents who
hadn’t
• Parents who hadn’t been to university
were much less likely to help their
children with job applications and
interviews compared to those parents
who had

20. ON THE FRONT LINE
Universities, Careers Services and
Recruiters

21. • 57% of UNIVERSITIES say they have had
experience of parents seeking to influence
the university application process in favour of
their child
• 62% of CAREERS ADVISERS believe that
parents are more visible or involved in their
children’s career choices compared to five
years ago
• 25% of RECRUITERS report evidence of
parents attempting to influence selection

22. Download both reports from:
gtimedia.co.uk/expertise/research-reports