In my professional context, I am preparing for some new youth employment funding, that includes delivering workshops to youth to engage them in positive steps toward future employment. I am excited about these changes because I know that they are important and necessary to help with transitions.
The youth in these programs no longer have the school safety net. They are on their own. Workplace bound and barely ready for the interview itself.
When working with youth, I find myself comparing employment to school- ALOT! There are more differences than similarities. In school if the student is absent, teaching adjusts. If a student is late, there are consequences, but seldom do students find themselves expelled when they are tardy once time too many. Employers will not tolerate it and the youth would be fired. If the student is not living up to his potential in school, it is a shame but not a deal-breaker.
The workplace is far more judgemental. No do-overs. No notes from home. No counselling department to get to the root of the problem. It is a "make it or break it" scenario.
I suppose the one exception to this rule is co-op education. I believe deeply in this experience as nothing can better teach real world expectations of employer the way a placement can. The dynamic does change somewhat when the placement is unpaid because it buys quite a bit of employer tolerance. My placements are paid and so the youth need to be good and ready for the challenge.
To that end, I have many questions, but will limit myself to just a few, as relevant to GDPI811:
What can youth employment programs learn from educational history? And vice-versa?
How can work-bound youth learn from their workplace experiences in a deep and meaningful way?
How have the demands of employers (of their workers) changed as a result of educational history in the past century?
What challenges would more recent history indicate as critical for youth in order to thrive in the future world of work?
Hi Tammy! I thought I'd touch on your question 'How can work-bound youth learn from their workplace experiences in a deep and meaningful way?'I think one of the most important things to learn is the ability to take criticism and move on. Sometimes, myself included, I think we spend a lot of time dwelling when we do something wrong or do not exceed expectations. I think it is important for work-bound youth to have the confidence to be creative and generate new things and ideas, but also be strong enough to take the criticism that may follow and learn from it rather than dwell on it. I think that sort of learning can have an impact in the work place, and educational environment and at home.
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