To Establish Aspects that Influence Career Choices Made among Secondary School Pupils in Senior Secondary Schools in Selected Schools in Ndola District

Career choices play a crucial role in shaping the future of young individuals. They determine their educational and professional paths, which in turn, influence their socioeconomic status, personal fulfilment, and overall well-being. By making informed decisions about their careers, senior pupils can better prepare themselves for the challenges they will face in the job market. A descriptive survey combining both the quantitative and qualitative methods was used. Quantitative data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 22) and qualitative data was analysed thematically by employing Microsoft Word to reveal recurring themes from the data. A chi- square design was used for testing relationships between categorical variables. The target population involved teachers, and grade twelve (12) pupils in government selected senior secondary schools of Ndola District with a sample size of 272 participants. Simple random sampling was used in the study to select pupils while purposive sampling was biased toward teachers and parents. Participants were asked which of the following factors influenced their career choice and the study established that 28(14%) said future job market demand, 60(30%) said peer influence, 76(38%) said parental expectations and 36(18%) said academic interest. The study highlights that parental expectations and peer influence are the predominant factors influencing career choices among the participants. Future job market demand and academic interest were cited by fewer individuals but still played a role in shaping career decisions for a portion of the respondents.