The Predictive Role of Life Skills on Career Anxiety

The Case of Vocational and Technical High Schools

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between life skills and career anxiety among students attending Vocational and Technical High Schools and investigated the predictive role of life skills in explaining career anxiety. The study was conducted with 385 eleventh- and twelfth-grade students enrolled in vocational and technical high schools in Ankara, Türkiye, during the 2023–2024 academic year. A quantitative correlational research design was employed. Data were collected using the Life Skills Scale and the Career Anxiety Scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson product–moment correlation analysis, and simple linear regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The findings indicated that students reported relatively high levels of life skills, with career planning emerging as the highest-rated dimension. Career anxiety levels were found to be moderate overall. Correlation analysis revealed a statistically significant but weak negative relationship between life skills and career anxiety. Regression analysis showed that life skills significantly and negatively predicted career anxiety; however, the explained variance was limited (R² = .02). The findings suggest that students with stronger life skills tend to report lower levels of career anxiety, although life skills represent only one of several factors associated with career-related concerns. The study highlights the potential contribution of life skills education and career guidance practices in supporting students’ career development processes within vocational and technical education settings.