Young people are losing interest in the IT sphere: the study showed a change in professional priorities of generations

According to a new study conducted by the online course platform GetCourse, the interest of young people in IT professions in Russia is significantly decreasing. According to the survey results, only 18% of respondents aged 18-25 expressed a desire to master the profession of an IT specialist. This is more than two times lower than among millennials (43%), and significantly less than among respondents over 45 years of age — in this group, almost half (49%) show a steady interest in this area.

The study included more than 1,200 participants aged 18 to 50 years from various regions of Russia. According to the survey, the highest interest in getting a new profession in IT is shown by representatives of the older generation. This age group also has a strong interest in marketing and targeted advertising (19%), as well as in design (12%). It is noteworthy that more than 36% of people over the age of 45 tend to study neural networks — this is the highest indicator in this area among all age groups.

Career guidance priorities of the younger generation look different. Among the representatives of Generation Z, the most popular professions were marketer (32%) and psychologist (29%). In addition, more than half (54%) of young respondents expressed a desire to learn foreign languages. This is almost three times higher compared to the audience aged 26-35 years (17.5%) and significantly more than the respondents aged 36-45 years (39%).

Hobbies and personal development play an important role in the educational choices of Generation Z. 18% of respondents in this age group choose online courses related to hobbies and leisure — this is twice as high as the average for other age groups (8%).

Interest in self-development is shown mainly by representatives of Generation Z and Generation X. According to the survey, 39% of zoomers and 42% of respondents aged 45 and over study online primarily for personal growth. At the same time, only 13% of respondents aged 26-35 stated such a goal, which indicates less involvement in educational initiatives in this age group.

According to GetCourse External Communications Director Daria Naumova, the results of the study clearly reflect current public trends. According to her, the older generation is actively discovering new professional horizons, including in the field of IT, while young people make a choice in favor of humanitarian professions, focusing on personal interests and social skills.

"We are witnessing an interesting transformation: the programming profession, which until recently was considered a symbol of success among young people, is now gradually giving way to milder areas — marketing, psychology, and languages. However, all generations show a high interest in studying neural networks and artificial intelligence. People understand that technology is changing the world and strive to keep up with the times, regardless of age, " Naumova said.

GetCourse, the company that conducted the study, is one of the leading players in the Russian online education market. According to the portal information EdTechs.ru It is one of the ten largest EdTech companies in the country and ranks first among platforms for launching and conducting educational programs. More than 19,000 projects operate on the basis of GetCourse, which, according to the company's own estimates, accounts for about 70% of the Russian-language online school market.

The results obtained indicate the need to rethink strategies for involving young people in the technological sphere. For educational platforms and IT companies, this means updating training programs, strengthening the humanitarian component, and developing new approaches to popularizing digital professions among the younger generation.