Young people’s expectations of work, and readiness of the workplace: Two sides of the same coin? 

Zoom link: https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/j/84197004657

Abstract:

Since the 2008 economic downturn, the education-to-work transitions of young people have been a cause for concern. Young people may experience complex, delayed and insecure transitions, and they may become trapped in poor-quality and/or precarious work. At the same time, workplace design and working patterns are changing, with important implications for how young people conceptualise their future 'work' and 'workplace' expectations. Using the Capability Approach (CA) as a theoretical lens and drawing on data collected in Scotland, UK, via key informant interviews, focus groups with young people, and a modified Delphi study with employers of young workers, this study compared the future work and workplace expectations of young people (aged 16-21 years) on the cusp of making their education-to-work transitions with employers' expectations of future young workers. In so doing, we assessed workplace readiness of and for the emerging workforce, and the extent to which young people's expectations corresponded with the skills and attributes employers desired. The CA frames individuals as autonomous persons who should be able to decide what they wish to achieve based on their own understanding of a 'good life' (Sen, 1990). This approach offers a perspective on the employment expectations of young people that is concerned with their freedom to make choices that they value, rather than focusing solely on outcomes. The approach emphasises the importance of considering how external factors shape individual capabilities. As such, an embedded approach to understand young people's experiences and expectations was taken in this study, uncovering what young people value in terms of work and examining how young people imagine possibilities for their future working lives. The findings suggest that rather than pitch generations against each other, there is a growing need to harness and embrace the synergies that can be derived from developing high-functioning and resilient multi-generational workforces. The findings also highlight some dissonance between employers' expectations of younger workers, and between young people's expectations and workplace realities.

Speaker:

Kirsteen Grant is Associate Professor (HRM) at Edinburgh Napier University, UK, and draws on complementary backgrounds in academia and organisational practice. Kirsteen has recently completed terms as Interim Head of the HRM Subject Group, and Deputy Head of Research in the Business School. She has recently been appointed as Associate Director – Development for the Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR) and she currently co-convenes a multi-disciplinary Work and Equalities in Society Research Group within the University. In 2022, Kirsteen co-edited the Emerald Handbook of Work, Workplaces and Disruptive Issues in HRM. She has also published several peer reviewed journal articles, book chapters and practitioner reports in areas of work and employment. Her research interests include professional, responsible, and extreme work; future of work; younger workers; leadership; and talent management. Kirsteen's former practitioner experience encompassed senior roles geared around leading and supporting complex organisational change, and she has worked in the areas of professional development, engagement, leadership, learning, and talent development. Kirsteen is a former editor of the Journal of Management Development and currently serves on several editorial and advisory boards. She is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), and Certified Management and Business Educator (CMBE).