Figures released by the ABS in August of this year showed that youth unemployment in Tasmania had risen to 12.6 per cent, a figure substantially higher than the national average of 9.6 per cent (Tasmanian Times, 2023). These statistics are somewhat alarming as they indicate that 12 out of every 100 young people are not working in our state.
The question remains why are our young people struggling to get work?
Research from City & Guilds revealed that one in ten young people do not have any desire to work (Youth Misspent, 2022). Is it that they simply don’t want to work, fuelled on by the laborious, stressful, meaningless or boring working conditions they witness first-hand in their parent's generation?
“We need to demonstrate resilience in our work challenges and encourage our young people to take initiative and courage in developing their career maturity. ”
According to Pollock (2021), youth are failing to obtain work opportunities due to many challenging obstacles such as lack of experience, skills and education, transport issues, mental health struggles or a poor understanding of the demands work often entails. Is it just that these barriers are simply too large to overcome?
Or is it that they are overwhelmed with the plethora of options and avenues open to them that they suffer from choice overload – burdened by the paradox of having too many alternatives to confidently make a decision?
There are many reasons why our young people are struggling to gain meaningful, sustainable and enjoyable employment, and we will never be able to articulate one clear reason. However, what is evident is that we, as the village raising these children, have a responsibility to nurture and foster their interest, passion, skills and confidence when it comes to career education. In the Bible (Titus 2), Paul exhorts older men and women to train, teach and educate younger people in knowledge, skill, character, conduct and godliness. This instruction reveals the desire of God’s heart, that the community shape and educate young people in all aspects of life. We know that Paul also stipulates that “in all things, we are to give glory to God” (1 Corinthians 10:31) and that surely includes the way we view and act in regard to our work.
As a community, we need to provide safe and supportive educational environments, role-model positive attitudes and display a desire to contribute more broadly to society with our God-given talents through our work. We need to demonstrate resilience in our work challenges and encourage our young people to take initiative and courage in developing their career maturity. We have a responsibility as older members to equip and empower our youth.
That is why it has been so exciting to see many of our Year 10 students step out of their comfort zone and engage in the Calvin Work Experience Program. While the thought of entering an unknown workplace and interacting with unfamiliar people may have been daunting, these young people, encouraged, supported and urged on by their families, friends and members of the community have expanded their comfort zones and made them larger. They have been able to explore career options, increase their maturity, independence, self-confidence, motivation, communication skills and develop greater awareness of life roles and responsibilities (ANCIS). The village has provided them a safe place to grow and in turn they will give back to community through their work in years to come.
Carly Brouwer - Pathway Coordinator