Yes, I agree with all your statements. These are great ideas. Humanitarian work would likely do wonders in helping young people grow in awareness and empathy. Many parents with the best of intentions are raising their kids in a self absorbed, self indulgent bubble.

True leaders serve. We need to make sure that is modeled for our kids and that they have an opportunity to experience it for themselves.

Michelle

Perhaps we could borrow from the British and Dutch, where many students take six months to a year off before or during school to travel abroad for humanitarian work, to study a language or perhaps work on an archeological dig. In those countries, there are grants available to help pay for these experiences, and young people are encouraged by parents, educators and employers to broaden their world view through meaningful travel.

I agree that we need to rethink our current system. Early exposure to what is “out there” is certainly one component worth examining.

Thanks for the comment.

I agree that work stress spills into all aspects of life. What a ripple effect.

Yes, internships and job shadowing are helpful tools as well. It would be good to have more.

Michelle

I can’t tell you how many times I see people who go to college and end up in a career they absolutely hate.

Nothing pains me more than to see these individuals “stick it out” in a career they hate and as you say are unwilling to “cut their losses”

The consequences of this are quite serious – both for the worker and his or her organization.

The worker’s misery at work inevitably spills over into other dimensions of their lives negatively affecting their loved ones.

Organizations also pay the price of these workers sticking it out. Let’s face it – uninspired workers don’t produce near as much as those who are passionate about what they do.

While I don’t think there is a perfect answer to this dilemma, I think one thing that HR departments could do a better job is offering opportunities for internships and job-shadowing.

This is a great recruitment tool for organizations and also does a great job in reducing turnover costs associated with individuals just starting their career only to find out they hate their chosen profession.

Chris Young
The Rainmaker Group

Yes, I agree that education is about training a person to learn and accomplish something, but I see those as earlier year goals (primary school) with each year shifting more toward finding out what I am gifted to do and what brings me life.

I guess if our underlying beliefs about what an education is for are different, then we wouldn’t agree on a model to accomplish it.

Thanks for joining the discussion.

Michelle

I’m afraid that if this is substituted for work at McDonalds, things would be much worse. Even less ability to learn and discover oneself if that training is not a long process to develop it like schooling is today. Of course there is a limit where you need a reality check as well, so it might have some uses….

Very interesting anyway.