Jarrod Gilbert: Are disengaged students prepared for the workforce? – New Zealand Herald

I’m not sure if the negative changes I’m witnessing are because the students are going to hell in the basket or because I’m turning into a cranky old man. And grumpy old men complaining about young people is hardly a new thing. Socrates said: “Our youth now love luxury, have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect to their elders and like to chat instead of exercise.’

Honestly, I would love to hear chatter from my students. My lecture halls are increasingly empty. Only 35% of my students come to class regularly, including interactive lessons that are not recorded, which makes up a third of the paper. Also, 35% is relatively high. Some classes I know of are almost barren.

Students choose to engage remotely for courses that are not designed this way. Make no mistake, the learning outcomes are worse. Also, because of the adjustment made because of Covid, we have socialized them to think this is normal.

But the pandemic is not solely to blame, these problems were evident long before that. The pressure to record lectures (which are now compulsory) and the tendency to demand protection of records means that many institutions are bending over backwards to accommodate students, even when the behavior is not in their academic interests.

These accommodations have created a sense of student entitlement and a reluctance to engage, even in a rudimentary way. It’s not just about attending class; it contributes when it is there. So many students don’t talk in class, claiming they have anxiety. Obviously, clinical anxiety is real, but for the vast majority of people, speaking in front of others is simply stressful. This is normal. Instead of encouraging these students to challenge themselves, too often we’ve told them it’s okay to give up.

Less than 30% of Millennials Are Engaged at Work – Gallup Survey

It’s not just something I can talk to; there is ample data to draw from the workplace. Gallup found that 55% of millennials, for example, were not engaged at work, and another 16% were disengaged, meaning they were actively creating damage to the businesses they worked for. This means that less than 30% are up and towards them. Fewer than three in 10 young people are what businesses are looking for at best.

A recent US survey found that the three most desirable attributes for hiring managers of recent graduates were initiative, a positive attitude and a strong work ethic. These are all soft skills that are considered desirable because they are in short supply.

There are parts of the internet devoted to advice on how employers can help make their workplaces more suitable for young people, and that’s great, but I wonder if we’re doing enough to prepare them for the workplace.

At least in part, educational institutions must be in tune with the needs of employers, and I fear that we are not doing enough to raise students to the standards that are required of them.

I’m a fan of discussing important issues around work-life balance, something my students are so focused on. But as a university teacher, my main goal is to create excellence. This excellence may look different for different students, but it certainly includes a commitment to learning and to some basic fundamentals. We are not doing enough to achieve this.

At university, as in the workplace, there are things people can do to get ahead. I tell my students, and I will tell all students, that the bar is so low right now that there is tremendous opportunity to advance in simple ways: just be dedicated and enthusiastic about what you do.

I am convinced that there is one trick in life and it is this: do what is in front of you as well as possible. Doing so will open doors of opportunity. It’s that simple.

Yes, there is a lot to worry about as a young person. The planet is in crisis and houses are costing castles, but there’s also never been a better time to stand out from your peers and create the good life – and it’s entirely within your control.

Whatever else I teach in my classes, I have no more important lesson to teach than this.