Bring back vacation employment
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Long vacations are usually worrying periods for parents. As the saying goes, “the devil finds work for idle hands.” leaving these students at home with nothing to do sometimes leads them to indulge in undesirable acts. In the days of vacation employment, many such students could have been kept occupied with not only building their networks but gaining some work experience through short spells of employment.
I had the privilege of a vacation job from my upper sixth form days through to my second year at the university. I knew a lot of my colleagues who also gained vacation jobs during those times and, certainly, that was one of the best things that happened to us at the period.
A job during vacation period added to our maturity, gave us some work experience, built up our network and, of course, earned us some money. Thankfully, the National Lotteries, where I did three continuous vacation jobs at the time, used to take on students for holiday employment. A few other friends also had the opportunity of vacation jobs in some public and private institutions.
Today, vacation jobs seem to have been thrown out of the window by employers, both public and private. No official reason comes to mind but one can hazard some guesses. One is that there are more students out there than the number of temporary jobs available. The other could be that the jobs are not there whether for temporary or permanent engagement. A further guess could be that in a technological age, many more of the manual jobs a decade or two ago are now being performed by the computer.
Whatever the case, we should consider assessing the benefits of holiday employment for our students and not just wish away the idea. For as long as the education and training they receive prepare them to be better citizens and then for the eventual job world, exposure to some of the practicalities of the life they are preparing to enter one day should include holiday and even weekend job experiences for those who are 18 years and above.
Elsewhere, the exposure for students includes short stints of work experience even before they enter tertiary institutions. The school system initiates the process. Referral letters are prepared for eligible students to take out there in pursuance of work experience during vacations and sometimes even weekends.
By the time these students get to the tertiary level and later as graduates, they already have some idea of what it feels like as working adults. It also helps them earn a little income to supplement whatever their parents support them with.
If vacation jobs were a regular part of the system some time ago, it should not be too difficult to get the idea to run again. The Ghana Education Service (GES) has done well to run innovations like Science and Maths Clinics for students. However, much as that is appreciated for demystifying crucial subjects and for the development of interest in those subjects, very few do benefit from such clinics.
The GES and the Ministry of Education can go steps further for the sake of the total development of our students by looking into the possibility of compulsory work experience for students 18 years and above. This would mean active discussions with the public and private sectors.
For all we know, in this age of socially responsible behaviour and attitudes by corporate bodies, there are institutions and organisations out there that would be ready to engage our students on vacation for specific projects. If we make it a national call, can any employer, public or private, say no to it?
Already, some employers are engaging students at the university level for internships, sometimes as part of their university projects. There are some who, as good corporate citizens, are offering internships just to offer work experience to students during their long vacation, as well as giving them the opportunities to earn small incomes for themselves. Such organisations need to be spurred on.
For the good of our students, we should take another look at regularising vacation employment and weekend job opportunities to give work experience to all students 18 years and above. We should make it as part of the system.
While national service is just a one-year compulsory “social sacrifice” on the part of our graduates, vacation employment should be an on-going practical work experience and support that as a nation, we can also sacrifice in the interest of our students.
Our educational system should encourage vacation employment for 18 year olds and above, schools should run with the idea, employers in both the public and private sectors should embrace it and as parents, we should support them all the way.
Exposing students to some of the practicalities in life even before they take charge of their own lives may be found in systems such as regularised vacation job placements.
By Vicky Wireko/Ghana
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