Do you remember the song, “I Am But A Small Voice”, sung by a very young Lea Salonga back in the 1980s? Marcus is turning 8 soon. He started as a very quiet child. He spoke to only one classmate for three years. By incorporating many “learn through play” activities, he is now quite the “philosopher”. Last weekend, he told me, “You know, mom, life should be 50-percent work and 50-percent play. It should be balanced.”
My eldest always had a loud voice, both literally and figuratively. She has always been a bit opinionated. Two years ago, I was so embarrassed when my good friend from Toronto visited. She asked Meagan, “Are you popular in school?” She answered, “It’s not important to be popular. It is important to be smart.”
One of my quests as a parent is to help my kids find their “voice”. I believe the situations they face are more complicated than our time. Peer pressure, social media influences and the like, affect many of our children’s decisions. I wish to develop their core. At the same time, I also wish for them to be “positive builders” in our society.
Below is my daughter’s submission when she was chosen by her school to join a letter-writing contest:
Dear newly elected secretary-General of the United Nations,
As your advisor, I think that unemployment is the first issue we should tackle. The International Labour Organization estimates that more than 61 million jobs have been lost since the global economic crisis in 2008. This leaves more than 200 million people unemployed globally. Nearly 500 million new jobs must be created by 2020 to provide opportunities to the unemployed and to the youth who are projected to join the workforce over the next few years. At the same time, there have been a lot of industries facing difficulty in underqualified employees. A 2015 survey found that globally, 38 percent of all employers are reporting difficulty filling jobs.
Another big problem regarding this is that underqualified employees may be the result of jobs being too reliant on finishing a college degree. With over 67.4 million children who are out of school, 122 million children who are already illiterate, over 775 million adults lacking minimum literacy skills and 17 percent of the world’s adult population being illiterate, we must let more people be educated. We can let more people be educated by investing more governmental money in an information campaign for parents and teenage children. This will show them how much advantage college can give them. It would be even better if this was taught in an early age. So, as much as possible, I would like to encourage parents to pass this lesson on to their children. This will help more people get jobs because the influence from their parents will, hopefully, encourage them to go to college.
For low-income countries, this will be a challenge, but it is still attainable. In Norway, for example, their unemployment rate dropped to 4.2 percent in January 2017 by having a Qualification Program. This program aims to overcome social barriers to work, as well as low skills. Participants of this program actually receive higher income support than similar unemployed people. It’s not as cheap for the government, but four years after starting the program, long-term unemployed people are 18 percent more likely to be employed. This program is for those who lack unemployment insurance entitlements and rely on municipal social assistance payments. It is also for those who are “trapped” or in danger of getting trapped in a passive situation characterized by income poverty and those who are considered to have a chance of getting a job through individual follow-up, even if this implies a lengthy process. It combines secure and generous income support, intensive employment and social support over a two-year period, and a requirement to engage full time in activities for work preparation in the program. Participation is voluntary but once enrolled, participation in employment-related activities is a condition of the receipt of the ‘Qualification Benefit’. Innovative features of this program include higher income support payments than if on social assistance, and that the payment is not income-tested. For example, if an unemployed person secures full-time work in the two-year period, they keep the full benefit as a wage supplement. The benefit for participants above 25 years of age is approximately $18,372, and for participants below 25 years of age is approximately $12,240. In return for the Qualification Benefit, participants must engage in 37-hours-a-week of work preparation activity. The 18 percent probability of being employed after two years and everything else about this program is why I think this will definitely help our society in terms of employment.
In conclusion, I think unemployment should be tackled first because it is one of the biggest global issues as of 2016 and 2017. I believe that the solution is informing the public on the importance of higher education, as well as providing alternatives to low-income families who cannot afford it.
Thank you.
Your advisor,
Meagan Co Say
Source: https://goo.gl/Pl2prK