Poll Reveals Driving Ambitions of Britain’s Kids

Personal loans provider M&S Money lauded the “realistic and serious” aspirations of Britain’s children this week after research showed that they are more interested in public service than being the next hit on The X Factor.

The study was carried out by YouGov for the financial arm of Marks & Spencer. Research found that 8-13-year-olds’ career aspirations were dominated by caring or protecting jobs, such as teachers, doctors, nurses, vets, police officers, soldiers or firefighters.

The research, involving some 1,700 children, also found that a minority were interested in fame and fortune however. Some 14 per cent of boys admitted they would like to be a top footballer, while 7 per cent of girls had aspirations to be an actress or a dancer.

However, a hardcore of youngsters had more creative ambitions as well. Researchers found that 5 per cent of boys wished to be computer game designers, 3 per cent of girls expressed the desire to be an artist and another 3 per cent had been inspired by JK Rowling and wanted to be an author.

M&S Money warned that such lofty aspirations came with a price tag. It pointed out that the average cost of training for one of the most sought after career paths was around £24,686 for boys and £31,049 for girls. To become a pilot costs a whopping £105,000, while training for an acting career can cost around £78,828.

The lender noted that wise saving and access to good value unsecured personal loans were factors that would help parents support their children in order to allow them to achieve their dreams. M&S Money chief executive Colin Kersley said: “Analysis of the training costs shows the financial implications are also serious and highlights the need to start saving early to help fund children’s dreams or aspirations.”