Four out of ten men aged 18-22 believe that higher education is either unimportant or a so-so factor in landing a desired job. Only 27 percent of young women believe that further education is not a vital factor, according to a survey by Respons.
The study was carried out for Unio, The Confederation of Unions for Professionals, Norway.
"We know that education is the best guarantee against unemployment. Therefore it is surprising that so many boys that are both wage and career conscious opt out of higher education," Unio leader Anders Folkestad told Aftenposten.
Folkestad believes that the reason is high self-confidence, and director Per Hetland at NIFU STEP, the Norwegian research institute for studies in innovation, research, and education.
"There will be a need for a large group of employees in the service and manual trades; these are jobs that can be had without higher education. If the boys will be satisfied with this type of job remains to be seen. There can be a disparity between expectations and real job opportunities," Hetland said.
Hetland believes the study confirms the trend of more girls than boys choosing to continue their post-high school studies.
