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Speaking out about unemployment

Opinion: Under 25's have little option but to join the dole queues.

Article by : SpunOut.ie - Rating :

Unemployment among young people is one issue that has been overlooked in the last year of economic crisis in Ireland. With all the horror stories of bank collapses, global economy meltdowns, and large job losses, it’s rarely discussed how many Irish school-leavers and graduates currently have little option but to join the dole queues.

Since April 2008, the number of under 25’s on the Live Register has almost doubled from 41,000 to 81,000 in April 2009, and looks set to keep increasing.

This is a very depressing prospect for any young person who has been through an apprenticeship, or is about to graduate. It is very disillusioning for those who’ve spent years in education and training to get a qualification in a specific area, only to find few or no jobs are available.

There’s an obvious financial cost for the country to have so many young people receiving welfare instead of contributing to it, but there’s also a social cost that’s not so easily measured – possible tension, frustration, and despair in society that could cause even more problems in the future.
 
What's the answer?

So, what can we do? It has been suggested we emigrate, as many of our grandparents and great-grandparents did decades ago. The only problem is that nearly every other country in the world has gone into recession too, they have few employment opportunities available, and are issuing less work visas. Emigration won’t be as effective as it used to be, so Ireland is stuck with us for now!

The Government’s response so far has been even less helpful. Welfare cuts for under 20’s, a freeze on public sector job recruiting, tax hikes, and the threat to re-introduce third-level fees.

While state agencies, such as FÁS are trying their best, they are hampered by the sheer number of people out of work, and the lack of new vacancies available.

If the Government are serious about making Ireland an attractive place to live and work in, I would urge them to invest in education and training, to make sure that Ireland really does grow the ‘knowledge economy’ they’re so fond of just talking about. With enough research and funding, for example, Ireland could become a centre for green energy and new technology, creating employment, and possibly leading the world in these areas.

I would also urge the Government to keep supporting the community and voluntary sectors as much as possible, as they provide invaluable contributions to Irish society. This is particularly relevant to young people, as many more could become involved in these areas. It could be a way to gain important experience and skills, despite the lack of employment opportunities out there, while at the same time contributing to society and learning about active citizenship.

No doubt things have taken a turn for the worst at the moment, and everyone is feeling the pinch. However if Ireland doesn’t engage with its young people; seek out their skills, opinions, and ideas about how to tackle these problems, and try to create opportunities, however limited, we will all be counting the cost – economic and social – for years to come.

By: Andrew Gibbons

 

SpunOut.ie comments: Ireland facing ‘wasted generation’ of young people

 
Speaking on May Day, SpunOut.ie founder, Ruairí McKiernan, said:

“We reach thousands of young people each week and the mood out there is one of frustration, anger and rising tensions. Young people have the necessary ideas, energy and skills but feel they are not valued as equal citizens when it comes to understanding and solving the current range of economic, health, social and environmental issues. 

This is leading to social tensions and a missed opportunity for government and decision makers to tap the talents of a generation that is highly educated, well travelled and eager to participate in forging a new direction for the country.

We are not going to get fresh thinking, ideas and innovation from the same people that got us into the current mess. We need to embrace the younger generation as a force for change and open up doorways for young people to participate in Irish life.

What we need now is a radical new approach to civic participation, where young and old from all walks of life are given opportunities to engage in decision making in their community and at national level. The alternative will, if the current pattern continues, result in missed opportunities and a bleak future for all.”

Sources:

Live Register, April 2009, Table 1b

More reading:
www.cso.ie/studentscorner/
www.statusireland.com/statistics/

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Your Comments

Posted by : nicccooollla - 07 days ago

It really is scary whats happening.I mean I am in the same situation as the person above.I am 24 have a degree in law with taxation and two years excellant experience. I just got a job now in a clothes shop because I was starting to literally go mental at home.I don't know what the future for young people is when they have to be degraded to sitting at home living on 200euro a week with what feels like no future in life.I applied for 180 jobs in the space of two months, I got 56 email rejections back and the other proportion of the applications did not even send a kind reply to tell me one way or other.The replies were all the same either saying I was too qualified and others saying I wasn't.The people who caused the mess,ie: the banks,propety developers and the government are all sorted ,the guys in the bank that gave themselves all the personal loans should be in prision for fraud not paying it back.In a lifetime it will never be paid back by them!!!!but we are certainly doing it for them.

Posted by : theresa - 13 days ago

There is something you can do about this. Something we can all do. If we work on our local economies and build community resilience we will not be so vulnerable to economic, energy or environmental shocks, among other things I'm sure. The government aren't/won't/can't do anything proactive at a community level so it is up to individuals to come together and act. We live in times where depression and suicide may well break all records and this a scary thought. We need to work at not letting the current crisis take over. We need to work together. There are many highly skilled people wondering when they can get back to using their skills. To sit around waiting for that to happen will not do much for the mind, the ego or self esteem. Confidence will sink and morale will be at an all time low. Times are changing and realisically things could not have continued as they were for much longer. Growth on the scale of the last century, throughout the industrial revolution, is unsustainable. There are limits. Limited resources, fuel/energy, food, water, land. It's time to ensure we have enough resources to make ourselves independent. To build resilience to "outside influences" and take control back. The Government cannot do this. These are actions of the people. We need to move toward a future that can support us. One we can support. That's where the transition takes place. We need to change. Please check out the transition network and decide for yourself. The Irish network is at transitiontownsireland.ning.com. Read up on some progress around the world http://transitionnetwork.org. For something that started with students in Kinsale and has taken the world by storm - it makes me very proud to be Irish. Stand up and be counted Theresa

Posted by : jfp2020 - 13 days ago

You are right, a "a freeze on public sector job recruiting" was silly; there should have been major cuts! There are too many people working there, we can't afford it, and they need to go.

Posted by : dublingizmo - 14 days ago

I'm 26, graduated from Business in DIT with a 2.1 in 2005, worked in finance for 2 and a half years, went to New York and worked on Wall St in one of the biggest Banks, and back home now with no jobs and no prospects,. I've done everything I was supposed to do to get off to a successfull career, good leaving cert, good degree, experience in a large finance company and work abroad which I was told employers love, and yet here I am signing onto th dole queue. What is the point of it, I should have just failed my leaving cert, and signed on at 18 and sat around drinking cans of Dutch gold cos I'm queuing with the very people who have done that in the dole office!!!

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