NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
January 29, 2009

NATIONAL POLL: TEENS' RANKING OF CAREER AS "BUSINESS PERSON" FALLS FROM FIRST TO FIFTH PLACE

"Engineer," "Science" and "Doctor" top the list.

Colorado Springs, Colo. – According to the results of the ninth annual Junior Achievement "Kids and Careers" poll, teen interest in a career as a "business person" has declined. "Engineering or science occupation" and "Doctor" tied for first place, each selected by 16 percent of 12-17 year-olds as their ideal career. "Business person" came in fifth place, after "entertainer," "professional athlete" and "teacher." For five consecutive years in which Junior Achievement conducted the poll, "business person" was teens' top career choice. The 2009 poll was funded by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and surveyed 750 teens nationwide.

The decline in teens' interest in business careers could be attributed to the current state of the economy, and teens' desire to pursue careers with greater perceived job security and income potential.

Commenting on the survey results, Jack E. Kosakowski, president of Junior Achievement USA, noted, "With all that has happened lately in the financial sector, it is possible that teens are unsure about careers in the business. However, we know that business - especially small business - is the greatest job creator and is going to be a crucial part of the economic recovery. It is important that we continue to teach young people the proper way of doing business. Ultimately, economic recovery is going to depend on people with good business skills, such as those taught by Junior Achievement. Our programs teach sound business skills, and help students become workforce-ready, no matter what career path they choose."

In addition, 89 percent of respondents said they were either "extremely well-prepared" or "well-prepared" to be successful at a job now or in the future, which closely aligns with previous years' results. And, 26 percent of respondents indicated that "good social and communication skills and working well with others" were the skills most critical to success as an employee, followed closely by "to be self-motivated" at 23 percent.

SHRM President and CEO Laurence G. O'Neil added, "Workforce readiness is a key concern for SHRM and the entire HR profession, which is why SHRM supports programs such as Junior Achievement's JA Job Shadow™. Businesses and organizations need workers who possess the skills and professionalism to excel in their jobs. Job Shadow prepares students to be successful, engaged workers, who in turn, strengthen businesses and help strengthen the economy."

The 2009 Junior Achievement Kids and Careers Poll was conducted by Opinion Research the week of January 12, 2009, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percent. In previous years, the survey's methodology differed, and was conducted using an online survey tool.

Read the poll results here.

About the Society for Human Resource Management
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world's largest association devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 250,000 individual members, the Society's mission is both to serve human resource management professionals and to advance the profession. Founded in 1948, SHRM currently has more than 575 affiliated chapters within the United States and members in more than 140 countries, including offices in China and India. Visit SHRM Online at www.shrm.org.

About JA Worldwide® (JA)
Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, Junior Achievement provides in-school and after-school programs for students which focus on three key content areas: work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Today, 137 individual area operations reach more than four million students in the United States, with an additional five million students served by operations in 123 other countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.

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