The challenge of youth engagement

9 March 2012

Dale Bailey Area Manager Northern

Youth disadvantage

• Is this the worst time in

generations to be a young person?

United Nations World Youth Report

• “Young people are, in general, more conscious of global issues like climate change and social equity. I think that promotion of green economies among youth is a winning solution.”MICHAEL, 23 YEARS OLD, ITALY, WORLD ESPERANTO YOUTH ORGANIZATION

• “Instead of training young people to seek jobs, they should train students to create jobs.”BWENJE, UGANDA

• “The most important thing is to not give up and learn new things every day.”YANIRA, 29 YEARS OLD, MEXICO

• “We want to make a difference. We want a chance to work. We want to prove ourselves.”NAVJOT Kenya.

A complex set of transitions

Young Foundation 2011

• ‘Labour market, organisational forms and employment structures and patterns have shifted, requiring a new type of workforce with new types of skills to adapt to new technologies, new competitors, new economic realities and the rapid pace of change’

Youth Unemployment

» Source: Salvation Army State of the Nation February 2012

12%

of our young people are

NEET

Pasifika youth unemployment

43% of Pacific teens aged 15-19 years

"Unless these young people have skills, it will be very difficult for them to compete for employment, so we need to be investing in those skills,"

Hekia Parata, Minister of Pacific Island Affairs &

Minister of Education

Source: One News, Sunday 4 March 2012

"It's real hard because they are looking for so much, they are

looking for experienced workers, they are looking for qualifications”

young job seeker Sitivi Pulepule

Source: One News Sunday 4 March 2012

“… the young of today have been portrayed as a bunch of spoiled

slackers, who've been so coddled and indulged by their spineless

parents that they effectively refused to grow up ...”

Tapu Misa, columnist, New Zealand Herald

20 February 2012

“...nice theory, but, as always, the truth is a little more complex. What

is becoming abundantly clear is that, far from the easy ride portrayed in the media, this generation is facing unprecedented challenges on the

way to adulthood.”

Tapu Misa, columnist, New Zealand Herald

20 February 2012

“Some of the injustices and dire situations our young people are

facing in today’s world are tantamount to crimes toward our

young people themselves”

A snapshot of our young people

Salvation Army’s The Growing Divide - state of the nation report February 2012

What motivates young people?

• Systemic success (qualifications, jobs, income)

• Subjective satisfaction (experience of recognition and motivation)

• Well being and fulfillment

• Giving back to society

• Identity independence and autonomy

• Social integration

• Social mobility» Source: Young Foundation ‘The Way to work’ 2011

What are the most important things?

Tracks to adulthood

“Young people do make choices, they decide what

to do in relation to what has already happened in their

lives and in relation to their future plans and

aspirations.

However, their choices are situated biographically and

socially”Tracks to Adulthood

New Zealand Council of Educational Research (2011)Dr Lesley Patterson

What might careers offer?

• Dialogue between learner and teacher

• Motivational and inspirational

• Opportunity to see relevance of studies

• Student-teacher partnerships

“The lifelong process of managing learning, work, leisure and

transitions in order to move towards a personally determined and

evolving future.”

[Canadian] National Steering Committee

for Career Development Guidelines and Standards, 2004

From advice to competency

Use this slide for images and diagrams

More engaged in education and work, through having a deeper

knowledge about themselves.

Future Work Skills: 2020

• Sense making

• Novel and adaptive thinking

• Social intelligence

• New media literacy

• Computational thinking

• Cognitive load management

• Cross cultural competency

• Design mindset

• Virtual collaboration

2020: jobs in decline

1. Word processors/typists

2. Data entry keyboard operators

3. Miscellaneous Agricultural workers

4. Cooks - fast food

5. Postal service clerks

6. Switch board operators/answering services

7. Mail carriers

8. Sewing machine operators

9. Mail sorters

10. Farmers ranchers, agricultural managers

Source: US Department of Labour

Dale.Bailey@careers.govt.nz