The business community, government and education sector need to work together more to help young people develop soft skills and become more employable, says Caroline Jenner.
Many European business leaders feel that the development of entrepreneurial and financial skills in young people is poor. They think that some young people lack the soft skills – such as presentation and networking skills, motivation, drive and teamwork – needed for a successful entry in the labour market. Some business leaders also agree that education systems do not effectively equip young people with the kind of skills needed to start a successful career.
Neither educational institutions nor governments, however, can solve these issues alone – the private sector needs to bridge the existing skills gap between education and business. It's an ugent problem – labour market changes require young people to acquire key competences early and update skills throughout their lives. This is especially relevant in these difficult economic times where young people are the last to be hired and the first to be fired.
There are countless debates on how to tackle the skills gap, but I believe the business community should use its human capital to help the younger generation through volunteering and mentoring. This engagement helps young people validate what they learn; they see how they can successfully apply their skills in a real-world context.
Business should play an active role in education – not as a replacement for educators, but as partners with experience from the field. An excellent example of skills development through corporate citizenship will be shown today in Brussels during Leaders-for-a-Day, a successful collaboration between private sector companies, non-profit and government stakeholders.
Leaders-for-a-Day gathers 40 students from all over the world in Brussels and each one shadows a high-level business leader or politician for a day. This allows them to get a unique insight into the dynamics of the world of work and a thorough understanding of the skills needed for success. The aim is to not only improve their business acumen, social and entrepreneurial skills but also boost students' confidence by engaging directly with senior leaders from a vast array of sectors and industries.
During my work for JA-YE Europe I have seen the role of business in society evolve. The private sector is increasingly involved in young people's education; teachers are working more closely with the business community around their schools. The private sector recognises the great contribution they can make in improving a young person's employability well before they enter the workforce. It is a softer way to transition young people into the working world and help them make better education and career choices. Educators are also able to show their students the relevance of what they are studying.
Through initiatives like Leaders-for-a-Day, leading members of the community take it upon themselves to set the example on behalf of their organisations. Not only does this have a positive social impact on an organisation, but it is also an excellent opportunity to attract talented young employees. We need to keep scaling up our volunteering schemes on the ground to help education systems respond better to the fast pace of change in the labour market and help young people to become more adaptable and flexible – and more employable.
Source: 16th October 2012, The Guardian by Caroline Jenner - Chief Executive of Junior Achievement Young Enterprise Europe.
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