by William Northeast
Children can start full time work when they're 16, and the minimum age for part-time work is 13. However it is becoming exceedingly difficult for the younger generation to become employed. Most jobs are under laws which state that they cannot employ under the age of 16. Furthermore, under the age of 16, children are permitted to 12 hours a week which means employees find it easier to employ above the legal age as workers are not restricted as to how many hours they work. I myself believe that we should be allowed to work and that is unfair that we do not have these opportunities because of modern society.
There are numerous reasons why working would benefit the younger generation. For one, it develops one’s independence. Jobs require you to be responsible and solve decisions and problems under pressure and autonomously. They also expect a certain matter of maturity. Working also teaches you to build relationships with colleagues and how to work collaboratively. This is why having a day to day job evolves one’s self reliance.
Moreover, children learn to be wise with their earnings. Before, we used to rely on our parents as our source of income possibly with a monthly allowance or pocket money. But as soon as one begins to earn their own wage, it teaches one the true value of money and the cost of living. One learns to appreciate what they earn and to not be brash with their spending. In addition, you build real life skills that will not only help you throughout life, but also increase your chance of employment in the future. While education and experience may make you eligible for applying for a job, an employer will want someone that is different from the hundreds of candidates that walk through the company's doors. Soft, hard, leadership and creativity skills are all attributes an employer will search for. These, along with other skills, can be developed through having a job when you're younger and can enhance your curriculum vitae. Jobs also teach you to be punctual and manage your time efficiently. I believe this is really important for the younger generation as it prepares you well for life as well as teaching one to balance school life with social life.
There are however many issues raised with lowering the age of employment. Health and safety is a big problem. The amount a child is allowed to work is affected by school life and laws. Also, a child may not be fit, mentally or physically enough to cope with the amount of work. Education should come first, and if the job is affecting your education then this can also be an issue. Employers may also have legal age limits for their workers because the job involves an element of danger, or involves a child selling alcohol or other harmful substances. Maturity is also a key problem. A child may not be mature enough to cope with the type of job available such as child care or working in a shop. An employer could run into all sorts of problems if they have employed a child whose maturity levels are low.
In conclusion, I believe that the age of employment is far too high. I do agree with some of the issues raised with allowing the younger generation to work, but I believe the positives such as
developing maturity and self determination outweighs those negatives.
I’m afraid I have to disagree.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, I understand that having a job is beneficial for young people and can help to develop valuable life skills - as you have indicated, I believe the age of employment is appropriate. It’s important for a child to grow and learn; they should be able to have fun and be socially active. This is really crucial in their development, and my concern would be that someone under thirteen years old would be deprived of this time. Certainly, there will be time to work later! I think, employers would be hesitant to employ someone below this age as they would be less mature than someone around sixteen years old and it would be too much responsibility for someone so young (as you mentioned: health and safety would be an issue, as well as, the risk of businesses and companies taking advantage of children, paying them lower wages, etc.).
With regards to the full-time employment age (under sixteen years), I believe that this is also suitable because education will be their primary objective and it appears unnecessary to jeopardise this. For example, my question to you would be: would it not be better for the child to be in full-time education instead of full-time work? Then, as a result have the opportunity to work in the future with a better job that generates a better wage, consequently giving them the possibility of a better lifestyle. Two main contributions to employer’s objection to young people working is that: they will usually not be signed to a contract because it will only be a temporary occupation - so can freely leave without pre-warning the business, and young people lack experience which would, obviously, be a limitation for the business. Therefore, I believe that sixteen years old is a suitable age for full-time jobs, but even so, in the UK it would be difficult to work full-time at sixteen years old because you must stay in full-time education until you’re eighteen years old.
In response to your previous statement: “it is becoming exceedingly difficult for the younger generation to become employed.” I would like to develop this with regards to both part-time and full-time work. In my experience, it is relatively straight-forward to become employed; employers (in the jobs available to under sixteens) want employees with enthusiasm, maturity, independence, common sense and communication skills (e.g. in a restaurant, they will look for someone who will excel in a busy environment to provide a high level of service), and this is imperative because as an employee, you are representing the business. Although, it is unlikely that children under thirteen years will have the skillset for these jobs, it is quite easy for someone with these characteristics - above thirteen years - to apply. However, I agree that it may be difficult in respect of location; for example: employers in London are going to require employees with more experience to provide a higher level of service, rather than employers on the Isle of Wight - who are going to be predominantly smaller businesses or restaurants who will benefit economically from employing younger people.
Overall, I agree that it is important for young people to have some experience in a part-time job, but do not think that the employment age should be lowered. This is because it is vital for children to have time to savour their childhood and focus on their studies - not a job.