I'm a Apprenticeship/Graduate Get Me Out of Here....

Another year of I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here is at an end. The contestants have been tested and exposed to the hungry eyes of millions of viewers. Ant and Dec have entertained us whilst they have made cheery comments between each segment. Whilst watching tonight my mind drifted, recently I have been reading the new policies around the need to ramp up the number of Apprenticeships in business by 3,000,000. All political parties agree that we need to improve the quality of the training for our young people whether they are taking the academic or the vocational route. 

However, we have a dilemma. We have large numbers of young people leaving university with large amounts of debt. Entering the job market with a need to prove themselves in a workforce which still lacks the stability of the pre 2008 years. Leaving the academic route with few of the life skills needed by employers (according to employers). Similarly we have large numbers of 16 - 25 year olds looking for a place to start a career via the vocational pathway. Some of these young people have already worked in many jobs on a short term basis, they know the direction of the revolving door. Some of these young people are classified as NEETs (Not in Employment Education or Training). They are part of the UK's lost generation. They were sacrificed as part of the world recession starting in 2008. 

The latest policy to boost apprenticeship numbers will reply upon the push pull dynamics of a training levy on larger employers. There are some great employers delivering excellent opportunities to young people via this apprenticeship vocational route. And yet the 3,000,000 target will need many more employers to see the light and smell the coffee. Leaving aside the funding and the quality of the training and even the alignment of the training to the labour market, the critical weak link in this endeavour will always be convincing employers to fill in and keep filling in the hundreds of forms required to set up, operate and comply with these vocational schemes. Simply put, employers can be herded and motivated to take on and train young people, but the red tape is always the death of a ministers big dream. Lets not even talk  about putting the red tape on line. 

The universities offer many wonderful academic courses and our young people march across the stage to proudly pick up their hard earned degrees. However, few have mastered the way to prepare our young people for the interpersonal challenges they will find when entering the workforce. 

We are not alone. India utilises a huge volume of distance learning graduates, where the soft skills are not even recognised. In USA the students leave campus with enough debt to make our UK trade deficit look small. Every country has a system and a policy from Germany's vocational route to Israel with the involvement of post study national service. Each policy and system solving six problems and exposing six new misalignments. Employers the world over bellow for better qualified and capable young people. 

Over the years I have watched as we throw this years contestants (Graduates/Apprenticeships) into the jungle (workplace) and watch how they fare. We pay them in Dingo Dollars (pittance), leave them much to their own desires and sneer whenever they  fail a task. They may chuck you out of a plane, teach you to live on reduced rations, change the rules, divide and conquer and misinform you at every stage of your career. And thats before your are sent for a "Bush Tucker Trial" or a "Long Weight" or sent for the daily challenge. Tea making, photo copying, bacon butty runs and leavers collections are all standard fare in the trials you will face as a young person in todays workforce. Some may argue that it is better than being sent up chimneys, down the pit or under the weaving machines of the last century. I choose not to waste energy on such nonsense. If they were daft enough to live in an "ole brown pappy bag int middle o'thou road when ey twas thee age" then they are older and dafter than they look. 

Some employers (TV Stations) have higher morels than others. No longer the Celebrity Big Brother House where we watch Big Brother set contestant upon contestant. Although there are still many a workplace where this is considered to be fair game. Equality of opportunity is heavily monitored on entry and also at promotion but in the middle the bear pit rules. Rule No.1 no complaining, no one listens. And if you really can't cope you can always utter those immortal  words "I'm a Graduate/Apprenticeship Get Me Out of Here". 

If you are weak and you break, don't worry you will be out in seconds. You will be quickly replaced by another C list celeb (young person) and even more quickly forgotten. Also you will quickly realise after a few sleeps that this weakness will be a stain on your sparse CV for many years. From the UK board rooms we will vote for the winners and losers each year. Contestants will be expunged and dreams shattered. 

But all is not lost. The standard and the levy will float all boats. More competition should raise standards. And most importantly the workplace is full of people like you reading this blog. You have been through the game and survived and you know the way out of the maze. You can lead and challenge the status quo. You can be the change these young people need. We don't need a government to tell us to take an interest in our young people. Most of us have sons and daughters and we should treat others as we hope others will treat our young people. I can choose to walk past something tomorrow that is clearly wrong or unhelpful, or, I can choose to make a difference in the life of young person. When I was an apprentice, Margery taught me how to proof read my work, Deirdre taught me how to ring down for the morning toast and get it delivered hot, Steve taught me how to work with the trade union representative and Mr Lewis instilled a sense of professionalism that I have never forgotten.

So when you go to work this week, make it young person's week. Find ways to lift, instruct and inspire our young people. Pass them knowledge, recognition and best wishes. You have the power to nurture that young spirit to be one of our leaders for tomorrow. Go on, you are the camp leader after all.......

Please share the difference you made today to a young person.