THE ATTITUDE AND
EXPERIENCE OF THE 'EXPERIENCED' UNEMPLOYED YOUTH
Young people generally are very
enthused about life and what its various stages offers, best of which is the
freedom to lead their own lives but without the power the decide the outcome of
decisions taken. Some of these outcomes are undesirables of gainful
poverty, unemployment or lack of one at all.
We have most of the time neglected to prepare ourselves - minds
and spirit for the realities that we must face in this stage of our life which
will mar or make us at the end. These preparations start from the family where
children are trained and influenced by either literate-illiterate, rich-middle
class-poor parents, faith systems, environment, level and quality of education,
training received, peers and more. Among all these factors of influence,
education, training, skills, and experience - (opportunities) has the highest
impact on a young person's life to adulthood. Most times we fail
to acknowledge the need to get ourselves readily prepared for this future
in discovering the purpose of education, and what benefit it would serve to us
and our communities, this is where attitude / character, values comes in -
the differentiating factor between the successful and
seemed failures. While in the university and upon graduation from the
University if he has to opportunity of attending one, an average young person
is faced with the experience of unemployment during which he is involved in
certain activities in which he is gains useful experience but largely denies
this because of lack of purpose, focus, vision of what life should be for
him/her. These activities often are training grounds to acquire skills, knowledge
and experience that the young person should use to change his situation and
lead a successful life but quite often he fails to.
As a young man that had desire to lead my own life and be
responsible for its outcomes, I before graduation from high school told myself
this is how my life would be structured; no matter the outcome of factors that
were not in my direct control. Upon graduation from high school, I had some
challenges - an outcome of the poor education system, yet I didn't lose focus.
I strived. I gained admission and having structured, understood my environment
and knowing what the system I was in wouldn't offer me, I made it a priority to
get a job placements during vacations to acquire skills and experience that I
need for my future - this was what my peers didn't see as a need at the time.
This I did throughout my university education, often going without food, denying myself
of some needs and luxury to save up to buy books, attend trainings,
conferences, and to work at times where I gain skills
and experience as an unemployed youth knowing that one day I will be employed. This is my
approach till date.
Many other young people for lack of focus and purpose have failed
to make efforts to gain needed skills, knowledge to lead meaningful and
successful lives. Sometimes when they do find themselves assisting in providing
certain services they fail to appreciate that they acquire very relevant skills
and experience in the process not to talk of using it to improve his/her
current situation. To such a young person he has never being employed or given an
opportunity to learn skills and gain useful experience. We always look forward
to a placement in the biggest blue chip companies immediately after graduation;
that is what we only know as employment, yet without the right skills,
experience, knowledge, purpose, character, attitude, vision, and values.
More so I once asked a young Nigerian Business Administration graduate
who was deployed to my organization for her compulsory one year National Youth
Service Corps (NYSC) scheme to write an application letter for a position that
was to be offered to her and also provide a resume/ curriculum vitae. I
was shocked to hear that she doesn't know what an application letter or even a
CV is. How could such be employed and by whom? I provided her with 2 plain
sheets of white paper and a biro to write whatever she can and title them to
indicate which is an application letter and CV. At the end I was provided with
a sort of primary school caricature of an application letter. On questioning she
told me she was not taught how to and therefore should not know with many other
reasons. I only helped her with a sample of my CV and web links to read on how to
write an application letter. That was the best I could do for her at the time;
meanwhile she has 2 good expensive mobile phones that she uses for facebooking
and accessing other social media content. That clearly shows lack of focus,
preparedness, vision, character, values, purpose for future and life.
