Tackling ‘tough’ job market
By Ashada Joseph
Some young people have grown frustrated when faced with the wearisome task of applying for jobs and not receiving employment. Many are left with the sting of discouragement and defeat in trying to pursue their respective career paths when there is little to no progress.
Nation Y spoke to some of these youths to get their insight into this issue that was affecting today’s society.
“In school you were told that as long as you study hard and got your CXCs you would get a job,” said Symonia Gentles who lamented on the struggles of youth unemployment.
“That was not always the case because even if you had your CXCs and you had no experience you were not given the opportunity to work,” she continued.
She added that some employers did not take the time to offer training but preferred people with three or more years’ experience for the job.
“If you look at every job advertisement going out its always experience, experience, experience. You would send your CV to multiple organisations and as long as you don’t have any experience in your CV, you can have the world of education but you are not going to be given the chance or opportunity to prove yourself as a worthy candidate to the task.”
She said more schools should be open to implementing job attachments for their students as an opportunity to operate in an organisation.
Looking back at her own struggle in getting employment since 2022, she said the situation placed a great deal of stress on her as she was more than eager to work.
“When I finished secondary school I started sending out CVs up until this year. It was very unsatisfying and disheartening as an individual because you wouldn’t even get back a letter stating why you were not given the job so you have an idea of what to do and what not to do. You sit there waiting on an email, a call or feedback and there is nothing.”
She said she had qualifications for office administration but was told due to her age she would never get an office job without experience. She set her standards lower and applied for jobs within the hospitality field and they still required experience as well.
Shameka Bailey said it was unfortunate when the youth faced issues with getting jobs due to a lack of experience.
“They [the youth] should be given a chance to work because it makes no sense going to school for all these years, and you trying to get a job to get the experience for said job and you cannot get it,” she said reflecting on the period where she was told she needed more experience to get the job.
“They said I needed more experience but they are not giving you a chance to get said experience. It is a bit unfair. Like any other person it made me feel bad but it only pushed me to keep trying because the experience had to come from somewhere.”
Juliette Moore said the workplaces were not prepared for the youth coming in because they had a different mentality and different values.
“This is a new generation and a new time. The workplace must be more open to the youth and give them some leeway to a certain degree because it is too easy to get sidetracked. There are a lot of older persons who are on their way to being retired.”
She said people interested in working who send in application forms should be considered and given the opportunity to try.
There are some young people, she added, who are not interested in getting a job.
“They get the job and when they get there they seem to think that they can behave as they like. You must understand that it is okay to say you are qualified and you have the paperwork but if you don’t have the right mental attitude for work it wouldn’t make any sense.”
She said a lot of parents were not preparing their children for the world of work. She added that while they may have the business qualifications or were academically sound, they lacked manners, and discipline.
“They don’t have discipline. They don’t like to get up for six’ o clock to work in the morning. They don’t know how to budget or organise.
“It is a give-and-take situation. The youth need to understand that when you come into the workplace, there are rules you must follow. Many of them are coming with this mentality that they are keeping it real. The workplace needs to open for them and give them the opportunity and they need to come with the mentality of cooperation and working.”
She also said that salaries needed to be raised.
“The young people don’t want to work like before, working for next to nothing. Raise the money!” she said. “Give them something to want to come. Give them a reason.
“You pay them $400 and when they go in the supermarket the things in the supermarket cost $300. As a young person you want to buy something nice, you want to go out and party and nothing is wrong with that. They have to live,” she said.
One young woman who did not want to be identified said the youth were not given the chance to get the experience which a lot of jobs ask for.
“They tell you to get experience but I don’t think a lot of the time we get the chance to get that experience and that is where the problem is coming from. They have a lot more faith in the older people that are already in the positions and that is probably why the young people don’t get a chance to gain experience”, she said.
Having possessed several CXCs and attempting to complete her bachelor’s in education, she said trying to get into the system was extremely hard.”
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