A slightly different version of the following
commentary was published in the Los Angeles Times on Labor Day, 2014 as "Dreaming
of Meaningful Work." It is currently reposted on the "Work in
Progress" blog of the American Sociological Association's Organizations,
Occupations, and Work Section.
***
A high school senior, Carlos is already a promising
carpenter. He is volunteering at a Habitat for Humanity site, assembling the
frames for the bedroom walls, the boards for one frame laid out neatly in front
of him. He measures the distance between them. Measures again. Then he drives
one nail, then another, stopping occasionally to check with his eye or a
framing square the trueness of the frame. I ask Carlos about this precision. He
says that when the frame is finished, “I know it’s going to be straight and
well done.” He pauses and adds: “That’s the way I am.”
In the midst of the economic analysis and political
speeches on this Labor Day season, we should stop and think about the personal
meaning of work and whether we are providing enough opportunities for young
people to discover that meaning for themselves. This is especially true for the
many members of the younger generation who are planning to enter the workforce
right out of high school or after attending community college.
We tend to view their relation to work in strictly
functional, economic terms. Yet they – just like their peers headed toward the
baccalaureate – are newly realizing how important work will be in their lives,
how it will shape who they are and what they can do in the world. They are
desperate to be somebody, to possess agency and competence.
For close to 15 years, I’ve observed and interviewed
young people as they prepare for an occupation through high school or community
college programs. I’m often struck by the value and hope they place in securing
a solid job that will engage them.
Of course, their economic motive is strong. Many are from low-income backgrounds and
yearn for a steady salary, for a car and a decent place to live, for some cash
to enjoy themselves. As one young man in a construction trades program bluntly
said, “I don’t want to work a crappy job all my life.”
But these future workers also talk about feeling
secure, having a stable life with their feet on the ground. Those who desire a
family — or already have one — want to be able to provide their kids with a
good education. They want work that draws on their talents and teaches them new
skills. They hunger for what we all want from our work. “There’s so much to think about,” one student
excitedly related. And some, like Carlos, find self-expression in work.
A teacher connected Carlos with a construction
company, but many in his shoes are not so lucky. Youth unemployment is
perilously high, more than double the national unemployment rate of 6.3
percent, with the numbers even higher for the vocationally oriented group.
Those who do find work often land in unstable minimum-wage jobs with limited,
if any, mobility.
The Great Recession negatively effected youth
employment opportunities, but the trend toward a tougher employment market for
young people began before the recession hit in 2007. Compared to a generation
ago, business and industry provide fewer in-house training opportunities, and
formal apprenticeships have been in decline for some time. So, too, has funding
for government-sponsored youth work programs and grants.
Policymakers are aware of the gravity of the problem
but often seem to squander the chance to address it when confronted with the
perfect platform. In late July, for example, President Obama gave a speech at
Los Angeles Trade-Technical Community College on workforce development. He spent more time berating corporations that
seek offshore tax havens than he did addressing student debt or his new job
training program.
The setting for a political speech is often simply a
stage for a message aimed at a larger public, but it was a lost opportunity for
our most visible national figure to speak to the minds and hearts of the many
thousands of young people across the nation enrolled in occupational programs
like those at L.A. Trade-Tech.
Public leaders should take advantage of their bully
pulpits to remind the country about the personal and societal goals that are
realized when young workers take those first steps into the adult workforce. By
giving public voice to what work means for our young carpenters and welders, chefs
and hairstylists, nurses and first-responders, our leaders can champion the
creation of employment opportunities that draw on the full range of these
students’ skills and aspirations.
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