The Millennial Generation
Student: What K-12 Educators
Need to Know
Terri Manning
Bobbie Everett
Cheryl Roberts
A Study Funded by the Workforce Development Board
It May Take a Village to Raise
a Child, but it Takes a Society
to Raise a Generation
Economic Conditions
Societal Norms
Political Events
Major Crises
Each Generation
• Consists of approximately a 20-year span (not
all demographers and generation researchers
agree on the exact start/stop dates)
• Has a unique set of values
• Reacts to the generation before them
• Looks at their generation as the standard of
comparison
• Looks at the next generation skeptically “these
kids today…”
• Those born on the “cusp” may have a blended
set of characteristics
• They are either idealistic, reactive, civic or
adaptive
The Veterans (also known as the Silent
Generation or the Greatest Generation)
1925–1942 (adaptive)
• Children of the Great Depression and WWII, this
generation decided not to attack the institutions
created by the generation before them, but
instead, as global thinkers, they chose to focus
on improving and refining them so that they
could be good for everyone, not just a select
few.
• The overall goal was not to change the system,
but to work within it.
• While economically very successful, they were
also the inventors of "the midlife crises" probably
because they didn't get a chance to enjoy the
freedoms of their youth.
The Veterans Childhood
• Raised by the GI Generation
(civic)
• Large families (3-5 children)
• Strong sense of extended family Core Values
(same town or home)
Dedication
Hard Work
• Grandparents in the home
Conformity
• Average 10-year-old spent 4-6
Law and Order
hours daily with a significant
Patience
adult role model
Delayed Reward
Duty before Pleasure
• Rural society
Adherence to Rules
• Apprenticeship businesses and
Honor
farming
• Perception of the world as “safe”
The Veterans
Important Events
• Lindbergh Completes
First Transatlantic Flight
• Stock Market Crash
• Depression
• The New Deal
• Social Security
• Pearl Harbor
• The End of WWII
• FDR Dies
• Korean War
Cultural Memorabilia
• Kewpie Dolls
• Mickey Mouse
• Flash Gordon
• Radio
• Wheaties
• Tarzan
• Jukeboxes
• Blondie
• The Lone Ranger
• The McCarthy Era
Veterans Came Home from
World War II
• And gave birth to the next generation
• The Baby Boomers 1943–1964 (the largest
generation, idealist)
The Baby Boomers 1943–1964
(the largest generation, idealist)
• Divorce reached a low in 1960 of 9%
• Families moved due to GI Bill, GI housing
and industrialization
• First generation to live miles from
Core Values
extended family
Optimism
• Family size smaller (2-3 children)
Team Orientation
Personal Gratification
• Few grandparents in the home
Health and Wellness
• Moms stayed home – no daycare
Personal Growth
Youth
• Children spent significant time with
Work
adult role models (mostly mom)
Involvement
• Perception of the world as “safe”
Baby Boomers
Important Events
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cultural Memorabilia
Rosa Parks
• Television
First Nuclear Power Plant
• The Ed Sullivan Show
The Civil Rights Act
Cuban Missile Crisis
• Barbie Dolls
John Glen Orbits the Earth
• Fallout Shelters
Martin Luther King Leads March on
Washington, D.C.
• Poodle Skirts
President John F. Kennedy
• Pop Beads
Assassination
• Slinkies
National Organization for Women
Founded
• TV Dinners
Martin Luther King Assassination
• Hula Hoops
Robert F. Kennedy Assassination
Watergate
• The Peace Sign
Kent State Massacre
• Laugh In
•
•
•
•
• Vietnam War
• Woodstock
Baby-boomer Results
• Very idealistic - banned together and walked
through life with their fists held high
• Generation gap occurred between them and
their parents
• Captured phrases like “why be normal” and
“question authority”
• They weren’t friendly toward authority figures
• Did not get along with their parents and swore
they would not raise their kids like they were
raised
• As adults - work an average of 55 hours per
week
A Changing Nation
100%
90%
87.9%
89.5%
89.8%
88.9%
80%
88.6%
89.8%
89.8%
83.1%
87.5%
74.7%
80.3%
70%
75.1%
60%
White
50%
African American
Other Minority
40%
30%
5
20
0
20
0
0
12.6% 12.3%
7.6%
5.2%
0
0
19
8
0
12.1%
13.2%
12.1%
19
9
11.1%
0.5% 0.9% 1.4%
0
19
5
0
19
4
0
0
0.4% 0.4% 0.5% 0.4%
19
3
19
0
0
0%
0
0.5%
19
2
10%
10.0%
9.7%
0
10.7%
11.7%
10.5%
9.8%
19
7
9.9%
19
6
11.6%
19
1
20%
The Late Veterans and Early
Boomers Gave Birth to the Next
Generation
• The Gen Xers 1965–1982
• A Lost Generation…
A Nomadic Generation…..
• Half the Size of the Baby
Boom (reactive)
The Gen X Childhood
• Divorce reached an all-time high
• Single-parent families became the
norm
Core Values
• Latch-key kids were a major issue
Dedication
of the time
Hard Work
• Children not as valued – looked at
Conformity
as a hardship
Law and Order
• Families spread out (miles apart)
Patience
• Family size = 1.7 children (many
Delayed reward
only-children)
Duty before
• Perception of the world as “unsafe”
pleasure
• Average 10 year old spent 14 ½
Adherence to
minutes a day with a significant
adult role model
rules
• Parents looked around and said –
Honor
we need to do this better
Gen X
Important Events
• Women’s Liberation Protests
• Watergate Scandal
• Energy Crisis begins
• Tandy and Apple Market PCs
• Mass Suicide in Jonestown
• Three Mile Island
• US Corporations Massive Layoffs
• Iran Hostage Crisis
• John Lennon Killed
• Ronald Reagan Inaugurated
• Challenger Disaster
• Exxon Valdez Oil Tanker Spill
• HIV
Cultural Memorabilia
• The Brady Bunch
• Pet Rocks
• Platform Shoes
• The Simpsons
• Evening Soaps
(Dallas and Dynasty)
• ET
• Cabbage Patch Dolls
• Super-hero Cartoons
on TV (He-man)
Generation X
• This is the conscientious, extremely
pragmatic, self-sufficient generation that
has a ruthless focus on the bottom-line.
• Born and raised at a time when children
were at the bottom of our social
priorities, Gen Xers learned that they
could only count on one thing themselves. As a result, they are very
"me" oriented.
• They are not active voters, nor are they
deeply involved in politics in general.
The Echo Boom/Millennials…
 The Millennials are almost as large as the baby boom-some say
larger - depending on how you measure them (approx. 81M).
 The Millennials are the children born between 1982 and 2002
(Civic), a cohort called by various names:
Echo Boom
Generation Y
Millennials
Net Generation
Things Began to Change for This
Generation
• Abortion rates peaked in 1980 and began a slow decline.
• Poverty rate for children peaked in 1983 and began a slow
decline (Medicaid began).
• US divorce rate peaked in 1981 and began a decline.
• Homicide rate against children peaked in 1982 and began a
decline.
• They were born into a better world, a more optimistic world
than the generation before them.
Millennials
• This generation is civic-minded, much like the
previous GI Generation.
• They are collectively optimistic, long-term
planners, high achievers with lower rates of
violent crime, teen pregnancy, smoking and
alcohol use than ever before.
• This generation believes that they have the
potential to be great and they probably do.
We are looking to them to provide us with a
new definition of citizenship.
The Millennial Childhood
• The most monumental financial boom in
history.
• Steady income growth through the
1990’s.
• Still great disparity between races.
• Saw their parents lose all their stocks
and mutual funds (college funds) during
the early 2000’s.
Demographic Trends
 The Baby Boomers chose to become older
parents in the 1980s while Gen X moms
reverted back to the earlier birth-age norm,
which meant that two generations were
having babies.
 In 1989, 29 percent of the 4.4 million live
births were to women aged 30 and older.
 Millennials have older largely Baby Boomer
parents: Average age of mothers at birth at an
all time high of 27 in 1997.
Demographic Trends, cont.
 Smaller families: Only
children will comprise
about 10% of the
population.
 More parental education: 1 in 4 has at least
one parent with a college degree.
 Kids born in the late ‘90s are the first in
American history whose mothers are better
educated than their fathers by a small margin.
Demographic Trends – Changing
Diversity
 Increase in Latino immigration Latino women tend to have a
higher fertility rates than nonLatino women.
 Nearly 35% of Millennials are
nonwhite or Latino.
 Twenty percent of this generation
has at least one parent who is an
immigrant.
 Millennials have become the most
racially and ethnically diverse
generation in US History.
Safety Issues
The Safest Generation
• This generation was buckled up
in car seats, wore bike helmets,
elbow and knee pads when skating, and were the
inspiration for “Baby on Board” signs.
The Well-Being of U.S. Teens
• Mortality Rate for US teens aged 15–19 declined from
1960 to 1997.
-Teens are having fewer accidents than Boomers
Youth Motor Vehicle Crash
Deaths (rates per 100,000)
50
45
43.6
42.3
Ages 15-19
38.4
40
33.5
35
33.1
30
25
25.8
20
26
25.2
15
10
5
0
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
Source: http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/figures/77-Figure-1.gif
2004
% of Children Who Reported Having
Worn Seatbelts Almost All the Time
110
100
90
80
93
92
82
87
76
68
67
70
60
99
94
83
81
98
98
98
93
93
84
81
78
73
77
73
75
49
50
40
30
33
89
84
78
76
<1 year
1-3 years
4-7 years
8-15 years
16-24 years
31
1985
1990
2002
2004
2005
Source:http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/figures/45-Figure-3.gif
2006
Carry Weapons to School
(reported carrying a weapon at least once within 30 days)
29
29
27
27.5
26.8
Grade 9
Grade 10
Grade 11
Grade 12
25
22.6
23
21.3
20.3
21
19.8
21.1
19
16.8
17
16.1
15
1991
1995
16.7
15.1
2001
Source: http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/tables/19_Table_1.htm
19.9
19.4
17.1
16.9
2005
Children (9th -12th Grade) Who Have
Gotten in a Fight in the Last Year
55
50.5
50
45
40
47.3
43.1
43
39.5
40.4
36.9
35
33.9
31
30
9th Grade
10th Grade
11th Grade
12th Grade
43.5
34.7
36.6
29.1
31.6
29.1
26.5
25
1991
1995
2001
Source: http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/tables/22_Table_1.htm
2005
Violent Crime
Percentage of students ages 12–18 who reported criminal victimization at school
during the previous 6 months, by type of victimization and selected student
characteristics: 1995 and 2005
1995
Student
characteristic
2005
Total Theft Violent
Serious
violent1
Total
Serious
Theft Violent violent1
Total
9.5
7.1
3.0
0.7
4.2
3.1
1.2
0.3
Male
10.0
7.1
3.5
0.9
4.5
3.0
1.6
0.3
Female
9.0
7.1
2.4
0.4
3.9
3.2
0.7
0.3
White
9.8
7.4
3.0
0.6
4.6
3.4
1.3
0.3
Black
10.2
7.1
3.4
1.0
3.9
2.7
1.3!
Hispanic
7.6
5.8
2.7
0.9
3.8
3.0
0.9
Other
8.8
6.5
2.5
2.2!
1.6
Source: www.nces.ed.gov
0.4
Percent of children watching 4 or
more hours of TV a day
45%
8th graders
10th graders
12th graders
40%
36.4%
36.7%
32.9%
35%
30%
29.0%
28.2%
24.8%
25%
22.8%
24.1%
22.0%
20%
19.3%
20.1%
19.6%
15%
1991
1995
2000
Source: http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/tables/55_Table_1.htm
2006
Percentage of Students who Reported
Substance Free in the Past 30 Days
75.0%
70.00%
69.1%
78.7%
64.7%
59.0%
51.9%
50.00%
60.3%
49.3%
48.1%
40.0%
38.6%
47.0%
30.00%
1990
1999
2003
Source: http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/figures/80-Figure-1.gif
8th graders
10th graders
12th graders
2007
Percentage of Children Age 3-17 Who
Have Been Diagnosed ADHD by a
Doctor Total ADHD
16.00%
Boys ADHD
Girls ADHD
14.00%
12.00%
10.00%
8.3%
8.5%
9.3%
8.00%
6.00%
4.00%
5.5%
2.6%
5.9%
3.2%
5.6%
2.7%
9.3%
6.6%
9.1%
6.4%
10.3%
9.0%
7.2%
3.8%
3.5%
4.0%
2000
2001
2002
6.4%
3.6%
2.00%
0.00%
1997
1998
1999
Child Trends Databank, http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/indicators/76ADHD.cfm
2003
Things Going Up
Obesity Children 6-11
20.00%
18.00%
Asthma Children 5-10
16.00%
Asthma Children 11-17
14.00%
12.00%
6.00%
4.00%
2.00%
16.1%
17.4%
15.8%
11.3%
10.00%
8.00%
18.8%
Obesity Children 12-19
10.5%
6.5%
5.0%
3.4%
5.1%
5.8%
6.0%
6.0%
6.2%
4.5%
3.2%
0.00%
1980
1990
2000
2004
Source: http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/figures/15-Figure-1.gif
Major Influencing
Factors
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Their parents
The self-esteem movement
The customer service movement
Gaming and technology
Casual communication
Parenting Millennials
• This generation is being parented by welleducated, over-involved adults who
participate in “deliberate
parenting.” They have
outcomes in mind.
• Boomers were the first
generation to be thrown
out in to an unsafe world
as adolescents.
• The 60’s and 70’s were very scary and many
of us felt unprepared for it.
• We were naïve and didn’t have enough tools
in our tool box to deal with it.
Baby Boomers as Parents
• Boomers rebelled against the parenting
practices of their parents.
• Strict discipline was the order
of the day for boomers.
• They made conscious decisions
not to say “because I told you
so” or “because I’m the parent
and you’re the child.”
• Boomers became more
“friendly” with their children.
They wanted to have open lines of
communication and a relationship with them.
Baby Boomers as Parents
• They explained things to their children, (actions,
consequences, options, etc.) – they wanted them to
learn to make informed decisions.
• They allowed their children to have input into family
decisions, educational options and
discipline issues.
• We told them “just because it is on
television doesn’t mean it’s true”
or “you can’t believe everything
you read.”
• We wanted them to question
authority.
The Result
• Millennials have become
“a master set of
negotiators” who are
capable of rational thought
and decision-making skills at
young ages.
• They will negotiate with anyone
including their parents, teachers
and school administrators.
• Some call this “arguing.”
Helicopter Parents
• Helicopter Parent (n) A
parent who hovers over his
or her children.
• Or Snowplow parent: Parents who clear
the way for their children
• ……these (echo) boomers are confident,
achievement-oriented and used to hovering
"helicopter" parents keeping tabs on their
every move. (Anthony DeBarros, "New baby
boom swamps colleges," USA Today, January
2, 2003)
Baby Boomer Parents have been
their Biggest Cheerleaders
• Millennials expect and
need praise.
• Will mistake silence for
disapproval.
• Millennials expect
feedback.
Parental Care in the Millennial Era
• Today’s typical family is spending more,
not less, time with kids.
• Smaller families mean
more time with each child.
• Fathers are spending more
time with children.
• Less housework is being done.
• There is a strong connection between the
social lives of parents and kids.
• They get along with their parents and
share their parents’ values.
Who are your heroes?
• An Associate Press/MTV poll asked
millennials who they looked up to as
heroes?
– 50% said their parents (29% mom, 21% dad)
– 11% named a friend
– 10% said God
– 8% named a grandmother
– 7% a brother
– 5% a teacher or professor
CNN 8/20/07
Focus on Self-esteem
• This generation was the center
of the “self-esteem” movement.
• 9,068 books were written about
self-esteem and children during
the 80s and 90s (there were 485 in the 70s).
• The state of California spent millions studying
the construct and published a document
entitled “Toward a State of Self-esteem.”
• Yet they can’t escape the angst of adolescence
– they still feel disconnected, question their
existence, purpose and the meaning of life.
They want to feel valued and cared about.
Focus on Customer Service
• Expect access (24/7)
• Expect things to work like
they are supposed to
• If they don’t “that is your
problem”
• They want what they have paid for
• Everything comes with a toll-free
number or web address
• Want “Gateway Go Back”
in classes
Add the Impact of Gaming
• Gaming has impacted children
– The game endings changed based
on the decisions children made
(Role Playing Games [Legend of
Zelda, Final Fantasy, Chronotrigger])
impacting locus of control.
– Involves a complex set of decisionmaking skills.
– Teaches them to take multiple
pieces of data and make decisions
quickly.
– Learning more closely resembles
Nintendo, a trial and error approach to
solving problems.
We navigated our way through…..
They navigated their way through…..
Technology
• This generation has been plugged in since
they were babies.
• They grew up with educational software and
computer games.
• They think technology should be free.
• They want and expect
services 24/7.
• They do not live in an
8–5 world.
• They function in an
international world.
Millennials Want to Learn
With technology
With each other
Online
In their time
In their place
Doing things that
matter (most
important)
Source: Achievement and the 21st Century Learner.
Technology In School
• Students are increasingly savvy when
it comes to technology.
• In general, students expect faculty to
incorporate technology into their
teaching and be proficient at it.
• At the very least, communication via e-mail,
access to online resources, PowerPoint
presentations, Internet activities, discussion
boards and electronic classrooms are
expected.
• Faculty will need to balance the use of
technology with their own philosophies of
teaching.
Characteristics of Today’s Children
• 76% want to learn more about the world.
• 28% of high school students
access foreign news sources
via the Internet.
• 90% percent of children
between ages 5 and 17
use computers.
• Teens spend more time online using the
Internet than watching television.
From: A Nation on the Move, http://www.ed.gov
Characteristics of Today’s Children
• 24% have created their own web pages.
• 16% of teens are shareholders in the stock
market.
• 33% use “Facebook”, “Twitter”, IM, “Myspace”
or other social networking contexts or formats
daily.
• Teens and college students combined spend
nearly $400 billion a year.
• The largest group of new users of the Internet
from 2000-2002 were 2-5 year olds.34
From: A Nation on the Move, http://www.ed.gov, and Just Kid Inc. KID Formation Series,
July 2008, “Meet the Millennial Generation: An Explosive New Consumer Force.”
2003 - All Persons 3 Years and
Older in the US
White Black Hispanic Other
% using the internet anywhere 65.1% 45.2%
37.2%
61.6%
84.8% 71.1%
41.4% 50.2%
69.6%
43.0%
83.3%
39.5%
% purchasing products and info 74.4% 59.7%
% looking for health information 41.1% 33.6%
% conducting finance trans 31.3% 22.3%
57.2%
30.1%
26.6%
68.4%
37.6%
35.2%
21.5%
21.5%
% using email and messaging
% playing games
% looking for jobs online
17.4% 25.6%
Source: SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey
(CPS), October 2003, unpublished tabulations. (This table was prepared May 2005.)
2003 - All Persons 3 Years and Older
by Income Level
$10<$10K 19K
% using the internet
anywhere
% using email and
messaging
$2029K
$3039K
$4049K
$5075K $75K+
31.5% 32.5% 43.8% 54.3% 64.8% 71.8% 82.9%
69.3% 70.6% 75.5% 79.4% 80.2% 83.6% 87.3%
% playing games
% purchasing products and
info
% looking for health
information
% conducting financial
transactions
48.0% 45.0% 46.1% 44.9% 43.7% 42.7% 39.7%
% looking for jobs online
34.5% 26.1% 23.6% 21.2% 18.5% 18.2% 15.9%
60.6% 60.4% 64.3% 67.0% 70.6% 72.9% 77.7%
33.8% 33.4% 35.8% 36.3% 37.6% 39.7% 44.0%
22.9% 20.7% 24.8% 26.3% 27.3% 31.3% 38.4%
2003 Children's Computer Use by Age and Race
White
3-4 yrs
5-9 yrs
10-14 yrs
15+ yrs
% using the internet anywhere
% using email and messaging
% use for school assignments
% playing games
26.8%
24.1%
23.9%
63.5%
87.4%
87.2%
92.9%
63.4%
% using the internet anywhere
% using email and messaging
% use for school assignments
% playing games
3-4 yrs
15.0%
32.5%
51.6%
56.8%
% using the internet anywhere
% using email and messaging
% use for school assignments
% playing games
3-4 yrs
15.6%
16.2%
41.4%
71.0%
49.6%
78.2%
35.4%
68.5%
49.7%
87.4%
65.5%
67.8%
African American
5-9 yrs 10-14 yrs
33.1%
53.6%
27.1%
45.5%
58.2%
83.8%
65.6%
68.6%
Hispanic
5-9 yrs 10-14 yrs
30.3%
51.9%
26.6%
48.2%
53.6%
78.5%
59.9%
54.9%
15+ yrs
63.6%
62.7%
98.2%
60.4%
15+ yrs
63.2%
69.8%
87.6%
53.7%
By age 21…..
• It is estimated that the
average child will have:
–
–
–
–
–
Spent 10,000 hours playing video games
Sent 200,000 emails
Spent 20,000 hours watching TV
Spent 10,000 hours on their cell phone
Spent under 5,000 hours reading
• But these are issues of income. Will a child
who grows up in a low income household
have these same experiences?
The “Information Age” Mindset
• Students have never known life without the
computer. It is an assumed part of life.
• The Internet is a source of research,
interactivity, and socializing (they prefer it over
TV).
• Doing is more important than
knowing.
• There is zero tolerance for
delays.
• The infrastructure and the
lecture tradition of colleges
may not meet the expectations
of students raised on the Internet and
interactive games.
Cell Phone Technology
• They all have cell phones and expect
to be in contact 24/7.
• Not a phone – a lifestyle management tool
• Staying “connected” is essential.
• Communication is a safety issue for
parents.
• Communication has become
casual for students (IM, email
and cell phones.
What About 1st Generation
Students?
• Not all students will be proficient; first-generation and
students from low income or working class families may
have less experience.
• Their experience with technology has been in arcades
and minimally in school (poorer districts.)
• They have not had the exposure to educational uses of
technology.
• We need a way to low technology skills in about 1/3.
• Huge digital divide between the “haves” and the “have
nots” based on income levels (class).
• Digital divide is appearing in pre-K.
In School
• They need to understand why
they are doing what they are
doing – objectives of classroom
activities and projects.
• They want to have input into
their educational processes.
• They want to be involved in meaningful
activities, not mundane work.
• They think it is cool to be smart.
• They will respond well to peer-lead programs
and group-oriented activities.
Millennial Expectations
• Clear expectations, explicit syllabi, and
well structured assignments.
• They expect detailed instructions and
guidelines for completing assignments.
• K-12 systems are actively involving
children in learning and classroom
activities change often.
• Teachers are helpers and facilitators of
learning.
• Rude awakening when they get to
college.
Issues for Schools in an
Information Age
•
•
•
•
Plagiarism (consumer/creator blurring)
Cheating (must define it)
Cell Phone Policies
Typing vs. Handwriting (cursive)
From: The Information Age Mindset: Changes in Students and Implications for
Higher Education. By Jason L. Frand. Educause. Sep/Oct 2000.
How are Millennials doing in
school?
• Teachers report that students are
doing better academically.
• The largest gains have been in math
and science for ages 9 and 13.
• Verbal skills show less clear
trends.
• Millennials have corrected a late 80s
decline in writing proficiency.
• Reading scores show modest
gains through the 90s.
SAT Scores – a Twenty Year
Reversal
Millennials Taking SAT
Highest SAT Scores in 35 Years
What Do Businesses and Colleges/
Universities Need to Know about
the Millennial Generation
Here Come the Girls
Boys Issues in K-12
For Every 100 Girls Who….
Number of Boys
Enroll in Kindergarten
116
Enroll in Ninth Grade
101
Enroll in Twelfth Grade
98
Are Suspended from K-12
250
Are Expelled from K-12
335
Diagnosed with Learning Disability 276
Enroll in the gifted and talented
program
94
The Boys Project. http://www.boysproject.net/statistics.html
Boys and Their Educational
Choices
For Every 100 Girls Who….
Number of Boys
Graduate from High School
96
Enroll in College
77
Earn an Associates Degree
67
Earn a Bachelors Degree
73
Earn a Masters Degree
62
Earn a Doctorate
92
The Boys Project. http://www.boysproject.net/statistics.html
College Graduation Projections (numbers in
thousands) (61% of degrees will go to
women)
1050
(62.6%)
950
850
Assoc. Degree Male
Assoc. Degree Female
Bach. Degree Male
Bach. Degree Female
750
650
(37.4%)
550
(60%)
450
350
(40%)
250
6
50
20
7
60
20
8
70
20
9
80
20
0
-1
9
0
20
1
-1
0
1
20
2
-1
1
1
20
3
-1
2
1
20
4
-1
3
1
20
Ambitions
 Most
•
•
•
popular college majors:
Medicine
Education/teaching
Business and marketing
•
•
•
Engineering
Law and politics
Computer science
 Most
sought after qualities in
careers:
•
•
•
Responsibility
Independence
Creativity
 Most
•
•
Source: Industry Week, March, 1998.
•
Idealistic and
committed co-workers
common job trends :
Multi-taskers
Change Careers
•
•
Seek security & benefits
Stay with company that
offers a challenge
Difference in Values
• They have witnessed their
baby boomer parents coming
home from stressed jobs,
exhausted, falling asleep at
the dinner table; and don’t
want that for themselves.
• They are a generation who is
interested in a life with value
and meaning – they do not
aspire to what the “boomers”
aspire to – they want
something different.
True Multi-taskers
• Millennials have lived programmed
lives and are already quite capable
of learning several jobs
simultaneously and performing
them admirably.
• Millennials will change careers
many times.
• Retooling and recycling their
skills and talents will become
common.
• To retain them, smart employers
will encourage Millennials to try out different careers
within the same company.
Need for Services
• It is estimated that 3 million Millennials have
been diagnosed with ADHD and have been
medicated (80% are boys).
• Within student populations, the number with
disabilities has jumped from 3% to 9%.
–
–
–
–
Many have had individual education plans.
Many need testing services (quiet, separate).
Need to self-advocate to teachers.
Major transition from high school to college.
2004 Research Study
• Central Piedmont Community College’s
Center for Applied Research was
contracted to do this study by the
Workforce Development Board.
– Focus Groups were conducted.
– An Online Survey was administered.
– Data collected January–March 2004 from the
University of NC at Charlotte, Central
Piedmont Community College and Johnson C.
Smith University.
Characteristics They Look for in
Teachers
• At least 50% said:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Enthusiastic about the course/teaching
Are fun to be around
Provide intellectual challenges
Have flexible class policies
Are sensitive to your needs/feelings
Emphasize preparing for future career
Working in Teams
• How do you feel about working in teams?
– I like it
– Have no feelings about it
– I don’t like it
44.7%
25.9%
29.4%
Working in Teams
• In the classroom, do you do the
following? 1 = never
2 = rarely
3 = sometimes
4 = often
Mean (sd)
Are given “team grades” on working
with others
Write papers/do projects with others
Study/do research in teams
2.62 (.89)
2.41 (.79)
2.35 (.80)
Salary Expectations
• Realistically, what do you expect your starting
salary will be when you begin working?
–
–
–
–
–
–
$15-20K
$21-30K
$31-40K
$41-50K
$50K+
Not sure
Millennials
7.7%
29.3%
27.0%
15.9%
7.0%
12.5%
Approximately 65% felt they would earn $40K or less
Jobs in Lifetime
• How many jobs do you
think you will hold in
your lifetime?
– 1-3
35.7%
– 4-6
41.5%
– 7-10
16.5%
– Over 10
6.2%
64% expect to have 4 or more jobs
Quality of Life?
Rank order of items that contribute
to a good quality of life
(% ranking item in top 3
on a scale of 1-8)
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Having a secure future for my family
Time to enjoy family/children
Having family/children
Having a great job
Having good friends
Having plenty of money
Having plenty of free time
71.5%
68.7%
63.2%
60.4%
55.2%
45.5%
40.2%
Your Generation in the Future
• Someday, your generation will be raising
kids, running corporations and occupying
high political office. When that day comes,
which areas of American life will be better,
the same or worse than today because of
your generation?
– 3 = better
– 2 = same
– 1 = worse
Areas they felt they would do better:
Technology
Race Relations
Areas they felt they would do about the
same:
Economy
Schools
Arts/Culture
Foreign Affairs
Areas they felt they
couldn’t improve on:
Government
Family Life
Religion
Crime/Public Order
How They Will Push Us…
•
•
•
•
•
More independence in the workforce
Consumer-based fairness
Better technology
Enhanced professional development
Get rid of “that’s the way we’ve always
done it”
• Have more life balance
• Re-establish priorities
So How Do We Work With Them?
• Because they have grown up in a different world,
never assume that they know certain things like:
– You don’t want to talk to their mother when they are
having problems.
– You don’t get points for showing up or an A for effort.
– The definition of plagiarism and cheating.
– It’s not appropriate to call you at home (especially
after 9pm.)
– They can’t use IM language in papers.
– It’s not okay to email you 10 times a day.
– That when they email you at 3am, you’re not sitting
on the other end waiting to respond to them.
Some Major Issues Worth
Addressing
• Some of them have been performing below
grade level all their lives… and they may not
know it (age of social promotion).
• You may be the first strict grader they have
encountered (will discourage them).
• Many are not very “hardy.” Will quit or drop
out because “it’s hard.”
• They are very good consumers and will figure
out a way to stay “under the radar.”
• They are not good planners and will do
everything late if allowed.
What Should Institutions Do (In
the Classroom)?
• Develop policies and practices around
appropriate communication.
• Give them electronic access to as much
as is philosophically possible.
• Draw a line on negotiations.
• Give them definitions, boundaries and
rules.
What Should Institutions Do?
• Create alterative ways for the low-tech
students to come up to speed.
– Basic keyboarding skills.
– Special workshops or lab sessions on the
basics.
– Help them master software that “will do
work for them.”
– Get access to computers (refurbished,
community projects, grants, etc.)
One Final Word
• In case you're worried about what's
going to become of the younger
generation, it's going to grow up and
start worrying about the younger
generation. (Roger Allen)
Who Are They?
• This year all over America, a
new generation will be showing
for kindergarten.
• A new “Silent Generation” referred
to as Generation Z, Generation
Alpha or the Homeland Generation.
• Starts mid-2000’s until about 2017
to 2020 and will be considered an
artist generation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss_and_Howe
up
Generation Z
• Will be raised on technology, they will not be scared
of anything, they will be open to new ideas.
• They will be into truth and loyalty and they will not
be not afraid to voice their opinion.
• They will be flexible and open to change.
• They will be fearless and fun.
• They will be the ‘new’ hope for our own future.
• Their great-grandparents belong mostly to
the Silent Generation and the Baby boomers
form the core of their grandparents.
• Their parents are seen as being roughly
evenly divided between Generation X
and Generation Y.
http://www.generationzbaby.com/generation-z.html
For a copy of this presentation:
http//www1.cpcc.edu/millennial
Click on: “presentations and workshops”
Contact:
terri.manning@cpcc.edu