For young people, contemplating career options can be bewildering. It can be hard even to know what opportunities are available.

Many school leavers enrol at university by default. It is a well-trodden path. In the past, university degrees reliably led to reasonably well-paid work.

There is no guarantee that this will continue to be so. Many occupations for which university has prepared young people in the past may be largely taken over by AI.

There is no complete solution to the career dilemmas facing young people. Things will continue to change in unpredictable ways. But one thing that would certainly help is better information about the opportunities that currently exist.

A few weeks ago in this newsletter, I suggested an online tool to help young people make informed decisions about post-school options. Shortly after that, I heard from the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). It turns out they have already created that tool.

Tahatū is a ‘career navigator’ website that enables young people to explore more than 800 career ideas. It helps them choose subjects for their senior secondary years and plan their post-school study.

Careers are organised into twelve broad categories, from Arts, Media and Design, to Transport and Supply. Each broad category is broken into subcategories, each with a list of specific careers. There is a description of what each career entails, its income distribution, what qualifications are required, and how long it takes to qualify, and what the fees would be.

For example, Aerospace Engineers oversee the design, construction and testing of aircraft, satellites and spacecraft. They need either a Bachelor of Engineering degree or an apprenticeship in aeronautical engineering.

Aerospace Engineers must gain certification from the Civil Aviation Authority and register as chartered professional engineers with Engineering New Zealand. The usual salary range is from $81k-$141k, with some engineers earning up to $175k.

There is even a link from each career page to positions advertised on Seek and Trademe. That gives an indication of the current demand for each occupation.

Tahatū cannot predict the future. It cannot tell young people what work will be available in even a few years’ time. But what it does, very well, is to capture the current scope of work. Guided by parents and careers counsellors, it can help young people navigate a challenging life transition.

I highly recommend Tahatū to all young New Zealanders wondering what to do with their lives.