Supporting the new generation in the job market: are we doing enough?

This question has been on my mind for some time. Several factors have contributed to this realization:

• In my HR practice, I observe the increasing difficulties in making intergenerational teams work together effectively.

• The often inadequate responses of companies to the professional needs of younger generations.

• The gap between academic expectations and the skills actually expected in the field.

• The treatment of young people during the pandemic (deprivation of internships, small jobs, etc.).

What is happening in the job market today for younger generations?

Thanks to my HR practice and two professional integration missions aimed at young people, I was able to approach this subject with a field approach:

• First Job Objective in the Île-de-France region: an experiment aimed at supporting high school students from vocational courses towards their first job.

  
  

• The Second Chance School : a national network of establishments that supports 16-25 year-olds in building their career plans through career surveys, refresher courses and work experience placements.

To the question "Are we doing enough to support young people into employment?", my answer is clearly no .

Would you have liked to be 20 in 2022?

Collectively, we are far from doing enough to ensure solid professional integration for the younger generation. Three main causes seem unavoidable to me:

3 main causes:

1. A culture of diplomas as the only scale of value.

Our society remains locked into a hierarchical vision of career paths based solely on diplomas, to the detriment of skills and talents.

2. Insufficiently prepared young people.

Many young people leave the school system without the necessary basic skills: knowing how to read, write, count... And it is sometimes difficult to even address the issue of social skills.

3. A break between school and the professional world.

It is, in my opinion, inconceivable that a young person should finish their school career without a professional CV or having an idea, however vague, of their career path. In my experience, only 9% of students had a CV or the beginnings of a career plan at the start of their studies (2 students out of a class of 22).

Three concrete proposals to implement.

1. Systematize CV learning from middle and high school.

Learning how to write a resume that will land you an interview should be as important an educational reflex as writing an essay.

2. Develop long and repeated observation internships.

It is disturbing to realize that one can reach adulthood without having had any concrete experience with career guidance. It is essential to allow young people to test, explore, make mistakes, and adjust their plans.

3. Empower young people.

It would be too easy to blame the system entirely. Some young people engage in support programs with enthusiasm, while others arrive disillusioned, convinced that finding a job is mission impossible.

Support for self-awareness, business codes and financial education are essential levers of accountability.

This article is also an opportunity to:

• Bringing back to the agenda a subject too often overshadowed by health and geopolitical news.

• Welcome existing positive initiatives.

• Thank you to the heads of establishments, site managers and teachers who have placed their trust in me in supporting numerous classes of young people.