In just four days I have received three separate requests from people who are making arrangements to help young people enter the world of work.
3 in 4 days. Not bad.
I guess the end of the academic year is approaching.
And young university students need internships to finish their degrees.
Or they need guidance on what to do now that they have finished.
So far so good.
Finding a job is complicated.
It has been for a long time.
And now with COVID it’s worse.
COVID is probably to blame.
Not probably. COVID certainly has something to do with it.
The COVID is to blame for everything these days.
$#!o COVID.
Although it may not be entirely, entirely to blame.
Because, I ask myself, why do parents or “adults” contact me?
(I understand that a youngster who has finished a college degree and is in his early twenties is also an adult).
Why don’t college students or post-college students contact me?
It is clear that parents have the contacts and, therefore, those who can make the first approach to people who think they can help young people.
But…
Why is it suddenly the parents’ responsibility to make these approaches?
Why is it that once the contact is made, the university student does not call me to explain what he needs, what he is interested in and what he can offer?
Is it really that the university student does not take the step? or is it that the adult has taken it as his or her responsibility?
I even go one step further.
Does the university student know that the adult is taking these steps?
Well, I don’t know. As I have not spoken to the university students, I do not have this information.
The bottom line is this: are we overprotecting young people?
Because, frankly, it seems that way.
And for the record: I’m not saying, far from it, that this is the case for everyone.
In fact also this week another college student I know very well has started an internship that she has sought out for herself, done the interviews and simply informed her “adults”. And she already has a place where for a few months to learn in the real world what she is still studying in her degree.
When do parents’ responsibilities to their children end? Raising, feeding, educating, accompanying them in their homework, paying for their career, finding them a job, paying their mortgage, …
Because if someone is in charge of all those decisions and tasks then it is normal for them to delegate them and accommodate.
But someday those college students will be the ones who will have to make decisions, take risks, maybe launch their own businesses, with bad luck face their COVIDs and maybe even have to educate the next generation.
Will they be ready? will we let them?
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