Report: Gen Z Teens Have Changed Their Priorities for Education and Work

ECMC Group has released the latest data from its multi-year Question The Quo Education Pulse study of Gen Z teens, which cover findings from multiple surveys of these students over the past several years that capture their ever-changing viewpoints. In January 2023, ECMC Group fielded a seventh Question The Quo Education Pulse survey—the fourth annual study since the public awareness campaign launched (three additional surveys covered timely topics and specific student
demographics to uncover added insights).

The latest research coincided with the official end of the COVID-19 national emergency in the United States and the return to classrooms that reflected the pre-pandemic environment. The peaks and dips in the data collected from 2020-2023 are particularly significant given that the trend lines have followed the shifts in these students’ education and life experience caused by COVID-19. Particularly interesting is that while some trends have bounced back to pre-pandemic levels, others remained changed—a potential
sign that we have entered a new era that reflects the education wants and needs of incoming generations of workers.

Included in this report are findings from Question The Quo Education Pulse surveys conducted between January 2020 and January 2023 and recommendations on how existing education and workforce systems can better meet the needs of learners now and in the future.