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7 in 10 parents admit they're baffled by their teens' career plans – and some are secretly turning to AI for answers

7 in 10 parents admit they're baffled by their teens' career plans – and some are secretly turning to AI for answers

New research reveals parents are struggling to keep up with changing qualifications and future careers, with some even pretending they know what their teens are talking about.

Brother and sister sitting on a sofa using mobile phone while their father observes from the foreground, highlighting modern family dynamics, screen time, and parental awareness in a contemporary home interior.

Getty/The Good Brigade

Serafina Kenny

Published: November 10, 2026 at 1:05 PM

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Trying to help your teenager decide what they want to do with their lives can be daunting enough, but plenty of parents are feeling just as lost as their children in navigating the changing world of work.

New research has found that 7 in 10 (73%) UK parents feel overwhelmed or out of their depth when advising their teenage children about future careers and qualifications. In fact, some are secretly turning to Google and AI chatbots for help, while 7% admit to pretending they know what their teenagers are talking about.

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Parents are struggling to keep up with changing careers

The research, conducted by Censuswide among 1,000 UK parents of children aged 11 to 18, found that 82% of teenagers ask their parents for advice about school, skills and emerging technology careers between one and 10 times a month.

However, 35% of parents say they no longer feel able to help their children navigate the job market, while 40% lack confidence when giving up-to-date careers advice. Almost two thirds (63%) believe their teenagers understand modern technology and future job roles better than they do.

Parents blame a complicated qualifications system (35%), a lack of reliable information (34%) and a rapidly changing job market (40%) for much of their uncertainty.

From AI Prompt Engineers to T-Levels, parents are baffled

Almost half (45%) of parents in regions where T-Levels are available say they are unfamiliar with the qualifications, while 44% know little or nothing about Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs).

Emerging careers are proving equally confusing. More than half (57%) aren't confident explaining what an AI Prompt Engineer does, while 56% feel unsure about Climate Tech Specialists and 44% about Cyber Security Analysts.

It's perhaps no surprise that 73% of parents use search engines or AI chatbots to research unfamiliar qualifications and job titles before discussing them with their teenagers. Another 20% turn to family members or local group chats.

Joe Swash admits he sometimes has to blag it with his teens

The findings come as Samsung launches its seventh annual Solve for Tomorrow competition, encouraging young people aged 11 to 18 across the UK and Ireland to explore technology careers by developing solutions to real-world problems.

To mark the launch, TV presenter and dad Joe Swash visited his local neighbourhood to ask taxi drivers, baristas and fellow parents whether they could answer his teenagers' career questions.

Joe says: "As a dad, you want to be the one with all the answers, but the world is moving at lightning speed! When my teens start talking about jobs that didn't even exist when I was growing up, I just sit there nodding along, totally blagging it. It turns out us parents are all in the same boat, secretly searching what it all means under the table!

When my teens start talking about jobs that didn't even exist when I was growing up, I just sit there nodding along, totally blagging it.

Joe Swash, TV presenter and dad

How teenagers can explore careers in technology

Samsung's Solve for Tomorrow competition aims to help. Teens pick a real-world problem they care about, in sport, the environment or online safety, and develop a tech solution, with mentoring and a work experience day at Samsung along the way.

The competition invites young people to work alone or in teams of up to four, choosing one of three challenge themes for 2026/27:

Smarter Sport: Technology that makes sport more inclusive.
Greener Future: Technology that protects the planet.
Safer Online: Technology that helps people stay connected and in control.

Semi-finalists will receive mentoring and funding to develop a prototype, before finalists pitch their ideas at a national event in April 2027. They will also receive a work experience day with Samsung, while winning ideas will be showcased at Piccadilly Circus.

Entries close on 18 January 2027 and must be submitted by a teacher or home-educating parent.

There's a free guide to help parents, too

Samsung has also created a free parent guide, available at solvefortomorrowuk.com. It includes conversation starters, trusted careers information and details of routes into technology, including apprenticeships, placement years and graduate programmes.

Jessie Soohyun Park, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Samsung, says: “As a parent working in the tech industry myself, I’m often asked how I’m preparing my own children for the future. I don’t always have the answer and know lots of parents feel the same way. What I do know is that exposure to hands-on experiences, relatable role models, and core skills like creativity and problem-solving are what young people need to chart their career.

“Young people have an incredible drive to innovate and through Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, we want to help them channel their passions into tech for good solutions while building future-proof design-thinking skills. Seeing alumni go onto start their own businesses and speak so confidently about their future is easily the most rewarding part of what we do.”

Authors

Serafina Kenny journalist headshot

Serafina KennyDigital Journalist

Serafina Kenny is a Digital Journalist at MadeForMums. She writes news and features and has expertise in health, nutrition, relationships, and history. She has previously written for Business Insider, Women's Health, Stylist, Men's Health US, The i Paper, Dazed, and more. You can contact her with tips and story ideas (or compliments!) at serafina.kenny@immediate.co.uk.