In fact, research released last week shows that teenagers can miscalculate the potential earnings of some skilled and practical sectors by as much as 38 per cent.
The apparent mismatch has been revealed in research by the Edge Foundation, published to mark the opening of nominations for this year’s VQ (Vocational Qualifications) Awards.
For example, in 2014 the sector with the highest annual earnings was electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply. However, only one in six teenagers in the research guessed that this sector was in the top three.
Furthermore, they thought average earnings in this sector were around £23,000 – a long way out from the actual median figure of £37,922. Electricians, for example, earn an average of £29,000 a year, 25 per cent more than the national average salary.
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