Best Career Choices for Young People in 2026

How young people are choosing careers now

Choosing a future career is not something most teenagers can, or should, fix in stone at 14 or 16. A large‑scale surveys of UK pupils show that what young people want to do changes as they move through secondary school and learn more about themselves and the world of work. When they first start secondary school, many are drawn to the jobs they see on TV or social media, with sports, media and beauty and wellbeing topping the list at around age 11. By the time they reach GCSEs, their ideas have already shifted, with more interest in creative industries, healthcare, business and finance, and fast‑rising interest in engineering, construction and science‑related roles. Understanding these patterns can reduce the pressure and help you understand that changing your mind is normal, and it usually reflects growing knowledge, not failure.

• At around age 11, the most popular job ideas are in sports, media and beauty and wellbeing.​
• By age 16, interest shifts towards creative industries, healthcare and business and finance, with growing interest in engineering, construction and science.
• Hands‑on, vocational careers such as construction, plumbing and electrical work become more attractive as young people learn more about pay, job security and demand.​
• Many teenagers still say they are unsure, which is normal and a sign they need better information, not that they are failing.​

Taken together, these findings show that what seems like your “dream job” in early secondary school is often just a starting point. As you gain experience, hear from employers and discover options like skilled trades, apprenticeships and vocational routes, your picture of a good career becomes more realistic and more personal. This means the “best” career choice is rarely locked in at 14 or 16. Instead, it develops step by step as you get to know your strengths, try new things and understand the labour market better. For young people and parents, the goal is not to make one perfect decision, but to keep doors open, seek good information and choose the next right step for now.

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The main routes after school

Most young people in the UK do not follow a single, straight line from school into one lifelong job. Instead, they tend to mix and match from a handful of main routes such as university, apprenticeships, college‑based vocational courses (including options like T Levels), going straight into work and, increasingly, specialist trade training with providers like Logic4training. Over the late teens and twenties, many people move between these routes. For example, starting with a college course, switching into an apprenticeship, or retraining in a trade after trying university to build skills and experience in stages, rather than making one “perfect” choice at 16.

University

For many school and college leavers, university is still the default option people talk about when they think of “success” after A‑levels or equivalent. A degree can open doors to regulated professions such as medicine, law and some types of engineering, and it can also provide three or more years to explore a subject in depth, meet new people and gain independence. However, it is only one of several valid routes, and it is important to weigh it against options like apprenticeships and trade courses before you commit. University can be a good choice if you:

1. Enjoy academic study and exams.
2. Need a specific degree for your target job (for example, medicine, veterinary work, architecture, some engineering and legal roles).
3. Are ready to manage student debt and want the wider university experience.

Pros:

• Access to professions that legally require a degree.
• Three or more years to specialise, build networks and gain maturity.
• Strong graduate employment in certain fields like healthcare, engineering and some business roles.

Cons:

• High tuition and living costs, with student loans to repay over time.
• Limited hands‑on experience in some subjects.
• Strong competition. UK graduate jobs dropped below 10,000, whilst universities saw 619,360 applicants in January 2026.

University works well if you enjoy classroom learning, essays and exams, and if your target career requires a degree, for example, becoming a doctor, vet, teacher, architect or certain types of engineer. You will usually study full‑time at auniversity or higher education college, with a mix of lectures, seminars and independent study. In return, you gain a recognised qualification, access to university careers services and time to build your confidence and life skills. The trade‑off is cost and time. You will normally take on student finance to cover tuition fees and living costs, and you may not enter full‑time work until your early or mid‑twenties.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships offer a different way to start your career. You work for an employer, earn a wage and study towards a recognised qualification at the same time. They are especially strong in practical sectors like building services, where employers need people who can hit the ground running with real, hands‑on skills. Apprenticeships exist from Level 2 (equivalent to GCSEs) up to higher and degree apprenticeships, so they can be an alternative to university or a way to reach degree level without taking on the same level of debt.

Pros:

• You earn while you learn, reducing or removing debt.
• You gain real workplace experience and contacts from day one.
• In sectors like building services (gas, plumbing, electrical, renewables), apprenticeship graduates are in strong demand.

Cons:

• You must balance work, training and personal life.
• You need an employer to sponsor the apprenticeship.
• Less time for full‑time campus life compared with university.

This route suits people who prefer learning by doing, like being part of a team and want to start earning sooner rather than later. As an apprentice, most of your week is spent on the job, with set time for off‑the‑job training at a college or training provider. In building services, that might mean installing heating systems, shadowing qualified engineers and then attending block‑release training at a training provider such as ourselves.

Apprenticeships demand good time management, because you are balancing work, study and your personal life. But the payoff can be worth it with strong employment rates, relevant experience and no traditional student debt.

College and vocational courses

Further education colleges and training providers deliver a wide range of vocational courses, from building services and engineering to health, IT and creative subjects. These courses focus on practical skills, workshops and employer‑linked projects, and they can be a good choice if you learn best by doing and want to move towards a specific trade or technical role.

Pros:

• Focused, practical learning that leads to recognised trade or technical qualifications.
• Often smaller classes and more workshop time than school.
• Can be a stepping stone into apprenticeships or employment.
• A cheaper route to becoming qualified in an industry when compared to university.
• A faster route into an industry when compared to apprenticeships.

Cons:

• Costs more than an apprenticeship.
• You may still need on‑site experience or an NVQ to be fully qualified in some industries.
• Quality and employer links vary between providers.

For college and vocational routes in particular, the focus should be on building real, transferable skills that employers recognise, such as practical competence in your chosen area to communication, problem‑solving and reliability. You can develop these through a mix of classroom learning, workshop time and any work placements or part‑time jobs you take alongside your course. For those interested in the building services trades, dedicated providers like ourselves offer new‑entrant routes that mirror the skills employers seek in gas, plumbing, domestic electrics and renewables. These can stand alone or act as a stepping stone into an apprenticeship or employment.

Going straight into work

Going straight into full‑time work after school or college is another valid path, especially if you want to earn immediately or are unsure about further study. Many young people start in roles such as retail, hospitality, warehousing or entry‑level office jobs and then build experience, confidence and a basic CV before deciding on their next move. Work can also be a gateway into in‑house training schemes, school leaver programmes and employer‑funded qualifications.

Pros:

• Immediate income and early work experience.
• You learn workplace skills quickly, such as timekeeping, teamwork, and customer service.

Cons:

• Progress can be slower if you are not gaining formal qualifications.
• You may need to return to training later to move into better‑paid or more technical roles.

If you take this route, it helps to think of work as part of a longer journey rather than the final destination. Keep an eye on opportunities to gain qualifications, talk to your employer about training, and be ready to move into structured learning.

Gap years and changing direction

Taking time out or changing your mind is much more common than it might seem when you are still at school. Some people finish college and realise they are not ready to commit to a three‑year degree or a specific trade, so they take a gap year to work, travel, volunteer or simply think more carefully about what they want next. When used well, this break can help you build confidence, save money, gain life experience and come back to education or training with a clearer sense of direction and become a stronger candidate for future courses, apprenticeships and jobs.

It is also very common to switch paths completely during this time. Time away from your current environment, where you are focusing on one career path, can put that decision into perspective and show you where you actually want to end up. At Logic4training, we have seen many new entrants who took time out in their twenties, thirties, or older, realised their first choice was not right, and later moved into the trades. Sometimes you need some time to re-evaluate your career path.

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Career areas for young people in 2026

Some career paths are clearly stronger bets than others in terms of demand, pay and how exposed they are to AI and automation. A UK BBC Bitesize Careers survey of UK teenagers says they most want to be doctors, engineers and teachers, with police officers, vets, and pilots also high on the list. Hard labour‑market data, however, shows the biggest real demand is in healthcare, digital and AI, engineering, skilled trades and some education roles. At the same time, repetitive admin, basic customer service and some finance roles are already being squeezed by AI.

Put bluntly. If you go into a field that is both in high demand and hard to automate, your odds of long‑term stability are much better. If you pick something crowded, low‑skill and easy to digitise, you will be competing both with more people and with software. The strongest sectors right now are those that either appear on the UK’s “occupations in demand” and shortage lists, or are clearly supported by long‑term trends like an ageing population and the push to net zero.

Healthcare and life sciences

Healthcare is one of the safest long‑term bets you can make. Teenagers might pick “doctor” as their dream job, but the data backs up the demand. Specialist medical practitioners, radiographers, nurses and senior care workers are all listed among the UK’s highest‑demand occupations, and many healthcare roles sit on the official shortage occupation lists. An ageing population, chronic illness and ongoing NHS staffing issues mean this pressure is not going away.

AI will change healthcare, but mostly by handling admin, pattern‑matching and diagnostics support, not by replacing frontline staff wholesale. Roles that rely on human judgement, hands‑on procedures and empathy, such as doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals, remain relatively safe, though you will be expected to work alongside AI tools. The trade‑off is tough training, long hours and emotionally demanding work, so this route is best for people who are academically strong and serious about patient care.

If you can manage that, the reward is clear. Strong job security, global portability and a career that is unlikely to disappear. If you like the idea of healthcare but not medical school, NHS support and apprenticeship routes into nursing, healthcare support and allied roles are a more accessible way in.

Technology, digital and AI

Tech and digital roles are not hype; they show up again and again in UK demand data. Programmers, software developers, IT business analysts and systems designers are among the occupations with the highest demand indicators in 2025. Cyber security, data science and AI engineering also sit on shortage lists and “fastest‑growing jobs” rankings.

The catch is that AI is both your friend and your competitor in this space. Routine coding, basic testing and simple data work are already being automated with AI. That means low‑skill tech roles will shrink, and mediocre developers will be under pressure. The strongest futures are in roles where tech is combined with complex problem‑solving and responsibility such as designing systems, securing them, integrating AI safely, and translating between business and technology.

If you are willing to keep learning and can cope with constant change, tech remains one of the highest‑upside choices, if you know what you’re doing and are creative. Good pay, flexible working, options to freelance and work globally, but be warned. One day, AI will likely displace most tech roles.

Creative industries and media

Creative careers are popular but risky. Film, TV, gaming, music, design and content creation are attractive, and the UK has significant strength in these industries. However, entry is competitive, pay at the start is often low, and AI is already disrupting parts of the sector, with image generation, basic copywriting, video generation, and even music production increasingly automated.

That does not mean “no one will work in media”. It means the bar is higher. The people who do well will be those who can:

1. Come up with original ideas, not just execute instructions.
2. Use AI tools to work faster and better, rather than competing with them.
3. Build a real audience or client base, not just nice‑looking portfolios.

If you want to go into this area, go in with your eyes open. Expect to mix multiple income streams, build a portfolio early (YouTube, podcasts, social content, freelance work) and be ready to combine creative skills with something more technical (for example, creative coding, UX, or high‑end post‑production). Treat it more like starting a small business than slotting into a stable “job for life”.

Public service, law and security

Public‑service careers such as the police, armed forces, teaching, and parts of the civil service score well for meaning and structure, but they vary in stability and pressure. Law and legal services add another layer with high‑status roles for some, intense competition, and long hours for many others.

AI and automation are already nibbling away at routine legal work, simple contract review and basic admin in government and policing. That means:

• Entry‑level legal tasks are at risk; you will need to aim for higher‑value advisory, advocacy or complex work if you go into law.
• Back‑office and basic case‑processing roles in public service are more exposed than frontline roles that require presence, discretion and physical action.

Teaching and frontline policing remain relatively secure because they depend heavily on in‑person judgement, physical presence and relationships. The bigger question there is not “Will the job exist?” but “Can you handle the stress, workload and scrutiny?” These can be good options if you are resilient and motivated by service rather than pay alone, but they are not an easy ride.

Energy, engineering and construction

If you want something both practical and future‑proof, this is one of the strongest areas overall. Net zero targets, ageing infrastructure and housing shortages mean the UK must invest heavily in energy, transport, water and housing for decades.

On the white‑collar side, civil, mechanical, electrical and environmental engineers are explicitly highlighted as shortage occupations and high‑demand roles. On the hands‑on side, skilled tradespeople in construction and building services are also in short supply and are needed to actually deliver the projects engineers design.

AI will help with design, modelling and planning, but it will not pour concrete, install pipework or re‑wire buildings on its own. That makes a broad cluster of roles here unusually resilient:

• Engineers who can design and oversee complex systems.
• Project managers who can coordinate people, budgets and regulations.
• Skilled trades (from welders to electricians and heating engineers) who can build and maintain the physical infrastructure.

The downside is that some roles in this space are linked to economic cycles and government spending, but the net‑zero agenda and chronic undersupply of housing mean demand is likely to stay elevated for many years. As you will see later in the article, this is also the ecosystem where building‑services trades and Logic4training’s courses sit.

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Balancing passion, pay and stability

It is easy to get pulled in different directions: one minute you are told to “follow your passion”, the next you are warned to “pick something practical”. In reality, most satisfying careers balance three things. Passion, pay and stability. Getting this balance right is where career choices stop being theoretical and start getting real.

Most young people say they want work that feels meaningful, interesting and aligned with their values, but they also want to afford rent, cope with rising prices and feel confident their job will still exist in 10 years’ time. At the same time, surveys show that many under‑30s are anxious about AI and automation, and worry that choosing the “wrong” path could leave them stuck in low‑paid or disappearing roles. So the question is not “Should I chase my passion or the money?”, but “What mix of fulfilment, pay and security makes sense for where I am in life right now and how do I move towards roles that tick more than one of those boxes?”.

Understanding what matters most to you

Recent surveys of UK teenagers suggest that “feeling good about what you do” now ranks alongside pay and job security as a driver of career choice. That does not mean money does not matter. It means young people are looking for work that lines up with their values and sense of purpose.

Ask yourself:

1. Would you rather have a slightly lower‑paid job you enjoy, or a higher‑paid job you find draining?
2. Do you value stability (knowing you will have work) more than variety, or vice versa?
3. How important are things like location, flexible hours or the option to be self‑employed?

Writing this down can help you compare options like healthcare, tech, creative work, public service and trades in a more realistic way.

Using data, not just opinions

Family and friends often mean well, but their advice can be based on their own experiences rather than current data. To balance this:

• Check sector information on the National Careers Service for up‑to‑date job outlooks and entry routes.
• Look at recent surveys of young people’s top job choices to see how interests change with age.
• Explore reports on occupations in demand and fastest‑growing jobs in the UK to spot sectors that are expanding rather than shrinking.

This helps you avoid choosing a path that looks glamorous online but offers few real roles, or overlooking stable, well‑paid careers because they are less visible on social media.

One thing that young people should keep in mind is that people rarely get everything perfect in their first job. Early on, you might accept less pay to build experience in a sector you care about, or take a more stable role while you figure out what you genuinely enjoy. Over time, though, you should see your work move closer to the overlap between what you are good at, what the market actually needs and what gives you enough financial and emotional headroom to live your life. That could mean shifting from a fragile, AI‑exposed admin job into a more technical or hands‑on role, or adding new skills so you can move from “just a job” into a career that feels like a better fit. The key is to make conscious trade‑offs, keep learning and be willing to adjust course as your priorities and the labour market change.

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Considering a trade career

By this point, you can see there is no single “right” destination. There are many good options, from healthcare and tech to creative work, public service and engineering. Trade careers in the building services sector sit alongside these, not below them. They are one of the most practical ways to combine strong demand, decent pay and resilience to AI with visible, real‑world impact.

Choosing a trade career is not just about liking the idea of working with your hands. It is about building a secure, flexible future in a sector the UK cannot function without. Skilled trades in the building services sector (gas engineers, plumbers, electricians, renewables installers and HVAC engineers) keep homes warm, lights on and low‑carbon technologies running. These roles sit at the heart of major national priorities like fixing the skills gap and delivering net‑zero, which means they come with strong pay, long‑term demand and clear opportunities to work for yourself once you are established.

Why trades deserve a place on your shortlist

Skilled trades such as plumbing, gas engineering, electrical work and renewables installation:

• Sit inside wider growth areas like construction and green energy, which are flagged as high‑opportunity sectors in UK jobs data.
• Offer clear, structured routes from beginner to fully qualified, often through apprenticeships or training courses.
• Are hard to automate because they involve physical problem‑solving in varied environments, making them relatively AI‑resistant compared with some office roles.
• Allow you to progress into supervision, management, consultancy or running your own business once you build experience and a reputation.

You do not have to decide at 16 that you will be a plumber or electrician forever. But adding skilled trades to your list of serious options gives you another route to a stable, future‑proof career, especially if university or purely desk‑based work does not appeal.

The trades also have some similar and unique benefits vs other careers:

• High demand: The UK faces a well‑documented skills gap in building services, with employers struggling to recruit enough qualified tradespeople to meet current and future workloads.
• Net zero and green jobs: The shift towards low‑carbon heating and renewables – including heat pumps, better insulation, solar PV, and
  EV charge point installation is driving demand for installers who understand both traditional systems and new technology.
• AI‑resistant work: Hands‑on technical roles that involve visiting real homes and buildings, diagnosing faults, adapting to site conditions and dealing with customers are far harder to automate than routine office tasks, making them some of the most “AI‑proof” careers available.
• Clear progression: You can start as an improver or mate, gain industry‑recognised qualifications, move into lead installer or supervisory roles, and eventually use your experience and contacts to run your own business.
• Multi-skill career: You’ll build a toolkit of technical and people skills that can carry you into design, estimating, inspection, management or self‑employment later on.

How Logic4training supports young people and career changers

If you do decide to explore a trade route, choosing a provider with real depth and experience is crucial. Logic4training is a specialist in building services training, with over 24 years of experience and more than 65,000 people trained across gas, plumbing, electrical and renewables.

For school leavers and career changers, Logic4training offers:

• Dedicated new‑entrant training courses that take you from little or no experience to job‑ready in trades like plumbing, gas and electrics.
• Progression routes into renewable energy courses such as heat pumps and solar once you have core plumbing or electrical skills, aligning your career with the UK’s net‑zero goals.
• Flexible delivery (including block‑release and flexible learning) is designed around the realities of work, apprenticeships and family life.

If you want to read more of our article relating to this topic, you can find them below:

Not going to Uni?

The Trades vs Uni

Learn a trade in 2026

AI job losses insight

What jobs will AI replace?

Speak to our team

 

FAQs

What is the best career choice for a young person in the UK?

There is no single “best” career for a young person to choose in the UK. The right choice depends on your interests, abilities and how you like to learn. Sectors with strong demand and good long‑term prospects include healthcare, engineering, technology, construction and the building services trades such as gas, plumbing, electrical and renewables.

Are trades like plumbing and gas good careers for the future?

Yes. The UK has a growing skills gap in building services, meaning qualified plumbers, gas engineers and electricians are in short supply. The transition to low‑carbon heating and higher energy efficiency also creates extra demand for installers with renewable skills.

Is university better than an apprenticeship?

Neither can truly be claimed as better than the other. They suit different people and goals. University is often essential for professions like medicine or law, whereas apprenticeships and trade courses can be better for hands‑on learners who want to earn while they train and move quickly into secure work.

Can I change career later if I pick the “wrong” option now?

Yes. Many people change direction in their twenties or later and move into new sectors, including the trades, from office, retail or other roles. Training routes like Logic4training’s new‑entrant courses are designed to support career changers as well as school leavers.

Are skilled trades safe from AI and automation?

Skilled, hands‑on trades that involve working in homes and on physical systems such as plumbing, gas and electrics are much harder to automate completely than many routine office jobs. While technology will change how tradespeople work, it is very unlikely to replace the need for qualified human installers and engineers.

How do I start a plumbing, gas or electrical career with Logic4training?

You can begin by visiting the new entrants training page and choosing a route such as How to become a plumber, How to become a gas engineer or How to become an electrician. The Logic4training team can then talk you through entry requirements, costs, funding options and the steps to your first job.