Hiring young workers in B.C.: No experience? No problem
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/Hiring+young+workers+experience+problem/4325283/story.html#ixzz1FVKh6ZYe
Summary
Dwaina Sprague is a successful interior designer and the co-owner of Good Space Design Group. When she graduated from BCIT 20 years ago, she found that it was extremely difficult to get into the competitive profession, because employers generally looked for the more experienced designers with a university degree. Her instructors told her that “you are not going to get a job when you leave this program. You are going to be working in a tile store or a wallpaper store or a furniture store.” Sprague told herself that if she ever had the chance, she would give the newer designers an easier time getting into the business. Recently, she employed a few junior designers, including Josephina Puharich and Lauren Webb.
Connections
This article provides a great example of frictional unemployment, one of the many types of unemployment. Frictional employment is when individuals are hopping between jobs or are just entering the labor force. Frictional unemployment usually does not last long and individuals will find work fairly quickly. Frictional unemployment exists because it takes time to find a job and during this time people are unemployed. In the article, Sprague was frictionally unemployed, because she had just graduated from BCIT and she remained unemployed while looking for a job. Another note about frictional unemployment is that it’s usually higher when the demand for the product or service is high and there are many jobs. Referring to the article, the employers back then looked for more experienced designers which meant that there was a relatively low demand for designers who were just entering the labor force. Since the demand was low and there were fewer jobs, there was likely a lower rate of frictional unemployment back then.
Reflections
Connections
This article provides a great example of frictional unemployment, one of the many types of unemployment. Frictional employment is when individuals are hopping between jobs or are just entering the labor force. Frictional unemployment usually does not last long and individuals will find work fairly quickly. Frictional unemployment exists because it takes time to find a job and during this time people are unemployed. In the article, Sprague was frictionally unemployed, because she had just graduated from BCIT and she remained unemployed while looking for a job. Another note about frictional unemployment is that it’s usually higher when the demand for the product or service is high and there are many jobs. Referring to the article, the employers back then looked for more experienced designers which meant that there was a relatively low demand for designers who were just entering the labor force. Since the demand was low and there were fewer jobs, there was likely a lower rate of frictional unemployment back then.
Reflections
Hiring younger workers comes with many benefits. Probably the most important benefit is the fact that technology and social media has been developing so fast during the past few decades. As you get older it becomes harder to keep up with the latest trends or the latest Apple product. I agree that younger workers are more of an asset than a liability to a business because of what we can bring to the table. A few other benefits include being new to the business world and therefore not having any “bad habits.” In conclusion, I feel that the employers out there should understand that the younger workers may prove to be fairly successful employees due to their willingness to learn and their desire to contribute to society.
