From an early age, children are asked about what they would like to do when they grow up. Their answers – and the jobs they go on to do – reveal some striking differences according to Lucinda Platt writing for the BBC about her research looking at the aspirations of boys and girls from different ethnic backgrounds.
The research, which makes use of data from the Millennium Cohort and Next Steps studies shows the UK’s children have their sights set on ambitious jobs, but that some are aiming higher than others. Lucinda and her co-researcher Sam Parsons believe the study participants’ answers to questions about whether children expect to attend university and what work they hope to do provide a new insight and raise questions about why some children who aim high and get a good education do not go on to find high-paying jobs.
Lucinda Platt 