Our children need early job experience

We need to create opportunities for young people to study and work at the same time

Teens working part time jobs learn valuable life skills.

While in many other parts of the world young adults have the opportunity to have some part-time work experience before they go to university, this usually isn’t the case here. The Ministry of Labour introduced a law allowing schoolchildren from the age of 15 to work part-time in 2011, but only if they could provide a medical certificate proving they are fit to work and had their parents’ permission. Many of those who went through this red tape discovered the job market has yet to accommodate them.

This lack of opportunity to experience the workplace is a concern for some parents, mostly expatriates, who are worried that it might negatively affect their children's prospects. As The National reported yesterday, unlike in their home countries, teenagers find it more difficult to secure part-time jobs such as car washing, pet caring and babysitting. As a result, they may miss out on learning some important people skills that could benefit them when they graduate and join the workforce.

Companies ought to consider making greater efforts to take advantage of this willing and talented workforce, which has been increasing in number since the 2011 law took effect. After all, as career and HR experts told The National, investing in young people helps them in the long run. Having some "professional exposure" and employability-related character strengths will help them secure full-time work when they finish their studies.

Students need more part-time opportunities with companies to gain such skills, and the Government can assist that process by removing some of the red tape that is an impediment to hiring them. It’s important that we encourage young people to start thinking about being independent early in their lives, breaking free of their reliance on their parents and going outside their comfort zones. Real-life work experience, involving interaction with experienced colleagues, will help this. Beginning this process through a part-time job will also encourage them to think seriously about their future and what they want to do with their lives.

The option to work is important for everyone, not just the young. As we report today, mothers returning to the workforce after raising children also have a part to play, for their benefit and that of the community. A more flexible workplace can only be a good thing for everyone involved.