As we celebrate World Youth Skills Day, we look at how employing young
people can have a positive impact on your organisation.
The 15th July is World Youth Skills Day – a day to celebrate our young people who make up 42% of our global population – and to discover ways to equip them with the necessary skills to achieve and contribute to the success of your business.
It’s no secret that businesses can be wary of recruiting young people; it may be the young person’s first experience in a workplace and as such, they may need more time from their employer as they adjust to working life and what is expected from them. Business owners may have had a bad experience in the past, or have been told that recruiting young people isn’t worth the investment by their business peers.
But the benefits of having young people in the workplace far outweigh any negatives. By taking the time to invest in them, an employer is able to guide, shape and develop their young employees at the outset of their careers, giving them the foundations they need to grow and flourish.
By recruiting youth, you are opening your business to discovering potential future talent that may otherwise be excluded from the labour market, talent that could bring creativity and fresh, new ideas.
If you’re not sure where to start, you could begin by having a look at your recruitment process. Do you need to adapt your recruitment methods to be more inclusive and appealing to young people? At Liiift, we use digital platforms in recruitment, for example, video submissions instead of the traditional covering letter.
What happens when your new employee starts their role? Remember, your newcomer is not an experienced worker, and so the right level of support is crucial to making the recruitment of your young person a success. Is your new employee’s line manager equipped – and confident – to deal with any additional needs they may have?
By investing in young people, you are giving them the opportunity to develop the skills to be able to deliver for your organisation, as well as setting them up for a long and fulfilling career.
You could consider apprenticeships to help them develop those skills, designed to maximise the positive impact on your business, and with funding available to cover the costs. Liiift can help you find, develop and implement the right approach to recruit young people and apprentices, so get in touch today and open up your business to a new realm of opportunity.
Dawn Tolcher
Managing Director and Founder