A new CompTIA survey has found that many teens would like to pursue careers in technology but fear that such jobs are out of reach for them.

CompTIA surveyed more than 1,500 teenagers in 10 countries, including the U.S. The association found that a majority of respondents believe technology is heading in a positive direction. At the same time, half of teens said they would consider technology careers. However, three out of 10 respondents felt such jobs are closed to them because they are too difficult to enter.

"It's encouraging to see that a sizable percentage of young people see tech as a viable career option," CompTIA CEO Todd Thibodeaux said in a statement. "But it's also quite apparent that we still have work to do to correct misperceptions about tech occupations and to provide career instruction and resources that reflect the reality of the 21st century tech workforce."

CompTIA also found a notable gender gap in terms of which teenagers were being encouraged by adults to enter tech careers, with more than half of boys saying they had received encouragement compared to only about a third of girls.

In terms of which tech careers they want to pursue, the most popular answers included video game design, smartphone app creation, web design and working in robotics and other emerging industries. http://bit.ly/2Xda8J7

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