The Youth and Employment: A Comparative Essay
The Youth or the Generation X is considered to be individuals ages 20 to 33. They are making a trend in today’s generation because they made great impact not just in the company they work for but eventually the big role that they play in the economy (Panopto.com). This is something the both articles wanted to point out, which is describing who is the Generation X in today’s modern world and the difference they make while they are employs. In these two articles, both the authors discuss about youth employment and impact on the economy. Although these writers have different attacks on showing the relationship between youth employment and economic system, there attacks are influence by the public and the influence these young individuals have on employment.
The first article is entitled, “Can Generation Xers Be Trained?” by Shari Cauddron. In this article, the author has positive outlook about the Generation Xers where they can be trained as an effective and productive employees only if the companies who employ them truly understand them. The author emphasizes in this article that this generation are quite different from the rest of the generation especially on their values, communication methods and life experiences. One unique trait that this generation has is that they are independent as what the author clearly writes.
As made mention in several paragraphs of the article, Generation X prefer to do outing jobs. At some point in their lives, they distrust companies but only work because they consider it as a venue to gain new experience. In the succeeding paragraph, the author emphasizes that this generation are techno literate. They are used in taking advantage on the newest technology in order to finish the job easily and faster. That is why they are used to fast speed status and also expect an immediate outcome in return. Because they are used to making everything fast from merely touch button, they want everything to be done in effective manner.
In return, they expect that their trainers or employers will offer enough development plans for them so in turn they can develop themselves better. But sometimes, they are willing to accept uninterrupted instruction because they are funny. Because of these unique traits that they have, trainers merely focus on their results and what this generation can really do. On the last part of the article, the author suggests several ways on how trainers can do effective training to this generation. Trainers can supply experiential preparation by utilizing their six senses, making active simulations and playing function.
Because this generation are focus on independency and have their own goal themselves, the company can opt to organize several venues and times to do the best training for them. Finally, the author also emphasizes that the Xers are good in multi-tasking thus it may be good to offer them multiple training materials at one time. The only important thing in training them is to make everything simple and easy for them to remember.
On the second article entitled, “The Sweet Bird of Youth is Demoing Signs of Age” by Andrew Beyak, the author argues that those who are in 20s and early 30s are considered youth. He point out that most of the jobs are merely replacing the Baby Boomers generation to this new generation. He made several observations with the youth. First, the job bias to this generation is very obvious. He give example the CBC Television plan where 18 to 25 years old are now treated lawfully as grown up individuals and give them the right to suffrage. But the general public does not really consider them as mature and responsible grownups to be able to make up their own decision on choosing who will run the country. Another point that the author shows is that the extension of the period of how one is considered as a youth led to maltreatment on them on the job and abuse their younger age.
But for those who do not believe that they belong to this group, really enjoy the term being attach to them. This is because many already think that the youth is still immature and non-hardworking, those from the 20s to early 30s have so much alibis to make and lazy. Despite the effort of some to prove that this impression is not true, still, the public thinks that they cannot effectively perform any duties given to them. Another point of the author in this article states that because of the prejudices and stigmata that the public have of them as immature individuals, they have negative outlook on their own selves. This eventually has negative impact to the economic system and limitstheir own social relationships.
Comparing the two articles, both the attacks of the writers were shaped and influenced by the experiences of Generation Xers’ and their impact employment. Although they have different approach in describing who are the youth, they merely agree on one thing, youth employment have significant impact to the society, the company and in the economy. In the first author perspective, the independency and inquisitiveness of this group are considered to be their positive features and have good impact to the public and the economic system. They are able to prove themselves that in order for trainings to be effective, they must be interactive and entertaining. If the company understands them better, they can bring great success to the company.
In second author’s perspective, through the negative experience that the youth have from the public scrutiny, this has weakened their outlook in work and in life in general. This also leads to their failure to prove themselves in the job. It is a sad reality that the public thinks that they should not be allow to decide the fate of the country since they are incapable of doing so. Due to the negative outlook that the society had on them, they tend not to work hard and lazy. Since they have limited social relationships, it seems difficult for them to be concerned about the issues of the society. Finally, this youth is immature and not quite responsible in every decision or choice that they make such as voting during election which is why the public does not count their votes as important.
Overall, comparing these two articles, the similarities that both authors have is describing who are the youth and the Generation X. They both observed and described it in different angles and later it was presented that they hold different opinions and position about the Generation X or the youth today. The first writer, Shari considers the Generation Xers as responsible and productive young workers. That if only companies can understand them better and utilize proper method of training, it will help unleash their hidden skills and talent which is really a big help to the success of the company.
However, this point of view is in contrast with the second writer, where Andrew believes that youth or those who are in 20s and early 30s are not yet ready to take duties and responsibilities in the corporate setting. This means that they cannot contribute enough in the economy since they have limited things that they can do in the workplace. But overall, the two articles wanted to point out that the Generation X or the youth today, regardless of what they can do or not will surely have impact not just to their own life but as well the company they work for and the economic system in general.