The future of the youth after they leave school is critical to the building of a community. Here, they will face the challenges of occupational competency and the skills needed to survive in their chosen industries. They have to maximize whatever academic qualifications they have up to that point. They need to make them work to their advantage. While others find eventual success, even rising in the corporate ladder, a lot of out-of-school youth find themselves without the means to get out of abusive employers and with nary the experience to even start their businesses.
A lot of reasons influence the youth as they decide never to go back to school. Many finish high school and never think twice about not going to college. Whether it’s poverty, family issues, disasters, illnesses, peer pressure, or pregnancy, the youth is often at the receiving end of government shortcomings and society’s hyper-competitiveness.
That does not mean there’s nothing you can do. If you are looking for a way to contribute to society, reaching out to out-of-school youth is the noblest thing to do. Your help can change the course of their lives and that of their families.
Technical Skills
The youth can find a lot of employment opportunities if they only have the technical skills. This can range from manual labor such as in construction to more technology-based skills such as computer repairs and programming. If you have skills within this range, you can contribute your time to teach out-of-school youth how to repair a motorcycle, program software, or design clothes. Another popular skill is graphic design. Companies are looking to outsource their graphic design needs, and they are usually open to freelancers, new graduates, and out-of-school youth.
Writing and English Speaking
Part of the out-of-school youth is migrant children. These kids are uprooted from their home countries either because of permanent migration or the temporary employment of their parents. But because of culture shock and some other factors, they find themselves unable to continue with their studies. They form part of the youth that content themselves with mundane jobs. You can make a difference in their lives by becoming their private English teacher. You can teach them how to become more confident with their language skills, enabling them to communicate better in the future.
Placement Services
Out-of-school youth usually find it hard to look for employment opportunities because of their limited qualifications and experiences. These programs should not only be capacity-building, but they should also offer placement services. Your ability to match these kids to jobs that will fit their abilities will put them in a good position to thrive there eventually. Sure, jobs for out-of-school youth are not ideal, but with proper placement, they can be with the right organization that will open doors for them.
Behavior Management
School dropouts face a lot of problems in their families, communities, peers, and selves. They leave school because the circumstances around them force them. Sometimes, it’s because they suffer from behavioral problems, too. Those with a background in psychology can help communities deal with these problems. They can conduct sessions, workshops, and training that will teach out-of-school youth how to manage their behavioral problems better.
Social Skills Development
Others are having a hard time forging relationships with their peers and communities. For some, it’s because of the language barrier. For others, it’s because of deeply ingrained problems that their parents were not able to address. Fortunately, through community projects, a lot of these problems can be a thing of the past. The social skills problem is a confidence issue. Once they begin building up their confidence, it becomes easier for them to face their peers. The confidence they can gain from education and other training will prepare them for the challenges of being out of school.
College Admissions
Do you have a knack for writing college admission essays? Perhaps, you can persuade out-of-school youth to try out for some community colleges? You can guide them in choosing the course that they’ll be interested in. You can also teach them how to write winning admission essays and produce admission videos that will persuade the college or university to offer them scholarships. This will have such a huge impact on their lives.
Community building starts with the youth. When the youth is actively pursuing their dreams and goals, it becomes easier for the community to build upon them. Everyone will follow suit. The younger generations will look up to their elders, who, in turn, will pave the way for them.
