Why is employing young people so important?
One of our Breakthrough Trainee’s, Becks, has written this article to highlight from a young person’s perspective, why employing young people is so important for businesses.
Employing young people is so important as it brings more inclusive perspectives that are diverse and represent a wider range of people, this in turn brings improvement to outdated rules and regulations and allows them to use their thoughts and ideas for change. They could also bring enthusiasm to work in the place of their choice which could motivate the people around them.
They Also Bring Potential
Employing young people also allows their passions or hobbies to shine and could also allow them to potentially utilise or develop it in the workplace. During my placement I have been able to share my artwork with others through a quarterly programme we run called ‘the Creative Collective’. It has allowed me to network with a variety of different people and share our collective stories whilst also allowing others to promote their businesses and passion projects – this could then lead on to a variety of opportunities depending on who they meet.
What Changes You Can Make As an Organisation?
Breakthrough and placement programmes such as Artswork’s allow young people the opportunity to work in a role of their choice that they may have struggled to get into and gives them the chance to gain experience and confidence in that area with a placement – and also a chance to prove themselves.
As an organisation, providing financial support could also help young people wanting to take a ‘leap of faith’ into a new job but don’t have the financial means to do so.
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73%
of young people feel financial barriers prevent them from accessing career opportunities.
Other changes you can make could be getting to know the candidate and presenting thought-provoking questions about the job role and what it means to them before the interview. This allows for a more meaningful application process – and for you to gain a better understanding of their story.
Importance of Young Voices
Allowing young people’s voices to be heard and giving them the confidence to speak could lead to a butterfly effect of opportunities for them and their future. Someone I work with used to attend a weekly afterschool club we run called ‘Media Mondays’ which allows young people to gain the skills to get into film. He now runs the workshop he used to attend – essentially coming full circle, showing how important a persons voice can be. He is now using his voice to help teach others in the same way he was.
Letting Young People Make the Big Decisions
The younger generation can sometimes struggle to find their voice in the workplace due to the perception of their age/inexperience. It’s not necessarily about the age but the person and their own shared experiences. The younger generation have a lot of valuable things to say that should be heard and taken seriously.
Letting young people make big decisions shows your faith in their ability and allows them to be taken seriously which will in turn improve their confidence and ability
If the younger generation and older generation compromise and work together, they would both learn a lot from each other. The younger generation would receive the wisdom from the older generation, and the older generation can learn from the younger and be a positive drive for change.
Article by Rebecca Beel – 2025 Artswork Breakthrough Trainee at Resource Productions.