Students' Knowledge of Aging and Career Preferences

The Effects of Service-Learning on College Students’ Attitudes Toward Older Adults

“…Social phenomena such as ageism, lack of awareness of the need for workers, and a general lack of interest in and contact with older adults have been identified as fostering misperceptions that affect career choice and steer students away from working with seniors (Gross & Eshbaugh, 2011; Hutchison, Fox, Laas, Matharu, & Urzi, 2010; Lun, 2012; Stone & Harahan, 2010; Wesley, 2005). Given these dynamics, the challenge for the current authors was clear: “How do we motivate students to enter the elder care workforce?”…”

“…Barriers such as ageism, lack of awareness of the need for workers, and lack of contact with seniors can impact the career choice of young professionals (Gross & Eshbaugh, 2011; Hutchison, Fox, Laas, Matharu, & Urzi, 2010; Lun, 2012). To explore ways to increase the number of students who pursue gerontology and to expand the elder care workforce, the researchers conducted a qualitative content analysis on the impact of service-learning in senior care facilities on students’ attitudes toward older adults.…”

Exploring French Canadian high school students' interest in and perspectives of a career with older adults

“…Lucchino et al (1997) asserted the importance of incorporating aging in the programme of study, given the looming demand for workers to meet older adults' needs. Lun (2012) concurred by noting that it is necessary to meet the challenges of an aging population by using the curriculum to raise awareness and build knowledge, thereby encouraging interest in aging-related careers. Certainly, some teachers may be hard pressed to implement such changes, given their workload and multiple demands, but studies have shown that it can be done (Krout & Wasyliw, 2002;Lucchino et al, 1997).…”

“…Important to know is that adolescents make career decisions differently than young adults or adults (Albion & Fogarty, 2002); therefore, given the role this generation of youth will play in meeting the needs of an aging population, it is essential to explore their perspectives of older adults and aging. Existing literature had mainly focused on university or college students such as Lun's (2012) study, which showed that a university-level gerontology course reinforced students' positive attitudes and encouraged them to work with older adults. Others contended that the lack of knowledge and disinterest in aging-related careers is a product of institutional barriers such as gerontology programmes that lack visibility and are offered on an interdisciplinary basis, a lack of information on aging in textbooks and little promotion of employment opportunities (Gross & Eshbaugh, 2011).…”

“…Career opportunities in aging‐related fields will not be limited to older adult care and service delivery but will include a range of professions aiming to improve seniors' quality of life, such as financial planners, housing specialists and engineers, as well as advocates, among others (Gross & Eshbaugh, 2011). In fact, almost everyone employed in the service industry will work with older adults (Lun, 2012). As noted by Augustin and Freshman (2016), one solution to the human resources issues caused by an aging population is to direct youth to careers working with older adults.…”