Parental Influence
The main findings
Chris Phillips
Information and Research Director, GTI Media
With guest appearances from Bob Gilworth
(AGCAS) and Stephen Isherwood (AGR)
THE HEADLINES
PARENTS ARE INFLUENTIAL
THANK GOD
• Only 7% of students believe that parents have
had no influence on their key education and
career choices
• 57% believe that parents have influenced
them a fair amount or a huge amount
“AND THEY ARE RIGHT TO BE”
SAY THEIR KIDS
• 66% think it’s the right thing for parents to do
• Only 7% think it’s wrong
• Students believe that parents seek to
influence their children because they want
them to have a better life than they had
• 69% of students say that their parents tried to
influence their choice of university/degree
• 54% their choice of career
• And 71% of students say that their parents
didn’t try to influence their choice of
employer at all
UNIVERSITY – THE DEFAULT
OPTION
• 76% of students say that their parents
encouraged them to go to university
• 70% of parents say they would or did
encourage their children to go to university
ALTERNATIVES TO UNIVERSITY
PARENTS IN THE DARK
• 73% of students say that their parents never
discussed alternatives to university with them
• 25% of parents say that they didn’t discuss
alternatives because they believed that
university was a much better choice
• 63% of parents find information about the
alternatives to university through school
teachers/career advisers and careers events
run by employers
• 76% of parents do not know where to find
online information about alternatives to
university
PARENTS ON HAND TO HELP
• 56% of students say that their parents
accompanied them to university open days
• 47% have had some help with job applications
and interviews
• 39% of students say that their parents have
offered to put them in touch with family,
friends or work colleagues
INFLUENCE IS NOT A CONSTANT
It changes depending on:
• Whether parents have been to university
• Where they live
• What they do for a living
• Whether their children have studied at state
school or an independent school
• Whether the children are boys or girls
IT’S WHO YOU KNOW...
• The level of parental influence is much higher
for students who were independently
educated than those with a state education
• For example, parents of independently
educated students are much more likely to put
their children in touch with family, friends and
work colleagues
• But parents of independently educated
students are less likely to attend university
open days
VIVE LA DIFFERENCE
• At university open days, women were much
more likely to take their parents
• Men are more likely to receive parental help
to contact friends, family and work colleagues
PARENTS WHO HAVE A DEGREE
• The level of influence exerted by parents who
had been to university is much higher than
that of parents who hadn’t
• Parents who hadn’t been to university were
much less likely to help their children with job
applications and interviews compared to
those parents who had
IT DEPENDS WHERE YOU LIVE
• Most likely to encourage their children to go to
university
– Northern Ireland (91%)
– East of England (62%)
• Most likely to discuss alternatives to university with
their children
– South West (70%)
– London (47%)
ON THE FRONT LINE
OUTREACH, ADMISSIONS, MARKETING
• 57% say there has been an increase in the
number of parents at open days compared to
five years ago
• 83% say it was important for their university
to encourage parents to attend open days
• 57% say they have had experience of parents
seeking to influence the university application
process in favour of their child
What are careers services saying
on the subject?
Dr Bob Gilworth
Director of College-based Careers Services
The Careers Group, University of London
AGCAS Director of Research
Parents: more visible than they were?
• 62% believe that parents are more visible or
involved in their children’s career choices
post-university compared to five years ago
Parents: are they seeking to influence the
selection process?
• 36% say that parents have tried to actively
influence the job selection process in favour of
their child
Parents: are HE careers services making
information available to parents?
• 32% say that their own service is already
making guidance or information available to
undergraduates’ parents
• 28% plan to make it available
Parents: meeting careers professionals at
university open days
• 88% say the Careers and Employability Service
is involved in university open days speaking or
presenting to prospective students’ parents
Are helicopter parents circling
employers?
Stephen Isherwood
Chief Executive
37% say parents more visible
“Parents are primary
influencers and children
“They listen to their
consult them when
parents, especially school
making important
leavers”
decisions”
“More active at open
days. Universities now
asking employers to
attend”
25% report parents attempt to influence
“Telephoned to ask
if we could
reconsider rejection
of student”
“Telephone call to
hotline asking on
progress or why
they’ve not been
selected”
“Parents will call or
email with questions
on behalf of their
children”
“Made decisions
for them after
offer made”
% marketing to parents
Sector analysis
Most likely to target parents
Banking
Parents most likely to influence
Professional services/consulting
Parents more visible
Banking
Coming your way…
• Open office events for parents of interns –
Northwestern Mutual
• Annual ‘take your parents to work day’ –
Google
• Parent packs for interns - Enterprise
• Parents attend company baseball games –
Central Wire Industries
WE ALL KNOW WHO KNOWS BEST
Students think their mothers are
significantly more active than
fathers in attempts to influence
decisions
WE ALL FACE CHALLENGES
UNIVERSITIES
EMPLOYERS
CAREERS SERVICES