The Gap, The : Your Teenager's Future - How Parents Can Help

What help do young people really want when choosing options?

How can parents provide the support teenager's need?

In today's confusing workplace and complex education pathways, how can we help our children find out what will be right for them?

These questions were explored in a national survey of teenagers.

Young people described the careers and life guidance they'd been given.

They told of what went well and what did not help. Overwhelmingly they turn to their parents for help. But some parents were more able to help than others.

It seems there is a gap between parents' dreams and the child's reality, a gap between old style jobs and the workplace of tomorrow.

For some parents and teenagers there is a communication gap.

Key messages are illustrated in this specially written play.

Designed to be entertaining and funny, it aims to prove a good resource for showing to groups of parents at school or in other settings.

Careers teachers and parents groups may find it a useful addition to their resources.

The pack contains a cartoon style parents' booklet and a teaching resource. "The Gap" by Clifford Oliver is performed by Arc Theatre Ensemble, and directed by Carole Pluckrose. Young Voice undertook the research with 79 schools and a range of youth services.

The data was analysed by a team at the University of Oxford.

The project was funded by The Family Support Grant and HSBC Bank Plc.

The play attempts to convey the results to a wide audience in an innovative way.