Want Responsible Youth? Give Youth Responsibility!Rafi Stone
It is often we encounter criticisms of the youth’s behaviour in New Zealand. One need not scavenge to find images of
students debauched on Courtenay Place or arrested for disorderly drunken behaviour. We are frequently exposed to the
conservative hard-line response demanding students be accountable for their less productive behaviour or else.
Only a fortnight ago on 30 August, Parliament voted to keep the drinking age at 18. The justification for this outcome
was to launch a stark message to New Zealand youth - to behave with more responsibility.
Parliament ought to be commended for not bowing to the polls and instead focusing on promoting youth to behave with more
responsibility. However, what is still a very misunderstood philosophy is that responsible behaviour emerges from a
responsible everyday lifestyle.
Students are not being employed for jobs which inspire responsibility, life experiences, self-confidence and last but
certainly not least a supportive income.
It is commonplace to see graduates working as checkout operators in our Countdowns, Pak’n’Saves, Shells. The student job
market is overwhelmed by job listings that read: “EXPERIENCED STUDENT REQUIRED FOR $13.50 P/HR”.
The majority of both big and small businesses in New Zealand appear to be too timid to take the risk and employ a
student due to the student’s lack of experience. As a result tertiary students refer to jobs that involve cleaning
dishes and graduates refer to jobs that involve drying them. This is a morbid reality as these individuals are the
future of New Zealand society and future contributors to the New Zealand economy. Granted, for many students, like
always, the mere prospect of simply earning a wage is enough of an enticement to apply for any job no matter how messy
or mundane. But, for some reason, employers fall into the habbit of placing an emphasis on the income or hours of their
job vacancy, rather than the value of the experiences, networking and confidence that can be gained from it.
New Zealand media thrive on the “thousands of graduates are crossing the ditch” story. The trending response to the
exodus is that the Australian population and job market is significantly larger and thus New Zealand will never be able
to compete. It might be worthwhile for some New Zealand businesses to take a business paid trip to Australia to be
inspired by many Australian businesses that take the plunge and offer University students highly regarded well-paid
internships. I am reminded of a job interview I had in Melbourne in 2010 in which my employer stated he was employing me only because he expected there would be value added to his business by employing a “younger person with vigor, enthusiasm and
a determination to prove his worth.”
If New Zealand employers are prepared to make an investment in order to prevent skilled, recent graduates fleeing to
Australia, then the investment begins now and it begins like any gamble, with a risk. This risk is employing less
experienced students to fulfill jobs which endorse responsibility, prestige and ambition. The reward for the employer,
the student and New Zealand society at large is simply immeasurable.
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