by Linsday Nygren, AWCC Scotland
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed education, from how schools are teaching to employment prospects of young graduates. From a report published by Decent Jobs for Youth (2020), the crises faced by youth before the pandemic have been exacerbated and will now result in long-lasting severe impacts on employment, education, mental well-being, rights and social activism if action is not taken. For young graduates just beginning their professional careers, advancement opportuntities could be severely limited due to the lack of access to necessary stepping stones. Beyond the immediate economic needs, youth do not have the traditional pathways to success, resulting in a loss of valuable skills, experiences and connections for their future employment prospects (Aaronson & Alba, 2020). 
Bridging the gap from education to employment opportunities and ensuring that skills are transferable and relevant continues to be a focus of the SDGs. SDG Target 4.4 states ‟by 2030 substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship,” and SDG Target 8.6 states ‟by 2030 substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training.” As the long-lasting impacts of COVID-19 become more apparent, policy development will continue to evolve for both educational institutions and employers. The current experiences of students, from attending university to seeking employment, is now set in an unprecedented time with unknown outcomes. Coronavirus on a global scale has made it abundantly clear that institutions and employers will need to develop innovative ways to bridge the gap in engagement, inclusion and connectivity (Brownlee, 2020) in order to meet the lofty goals the SDGs have put forward.
The education system has already adapted rapidly, shifting to primarily online learning. Within only a few weeks, education systems globally switched to completely online, making the gaps in access abundantly apparent. In addition to teaching going online, all supports followed. With offices closed and no face-to-face interactions allowed, the infrastructure was put under immense pressure to cope. This pressure has given the opportunity for innovation and for looking at higher education as so much more than a university degree. As Dr. Lambert from Pima Community College has stated, community colleges provide a shortened path from education to employment through various short-term and work-based opportunities (2020). To survive and prosper, networks are key. Building stronger community partnerships with educators, employers and government unlocks access to gaining real-world experience while pursuing a degree, training or certification. Decent Jobs for Youth is one non-profit taking on this challenge. Described as ‟a worldwide alliance committed to creating quality jobs for young people,” they partner with governments, academia, the United Nations and many other public and private organizations to ‟leverage a vast network of resources, knowledge and partnerships and achieve a long-lasting, positive impact on the lives of young people everywhere.”
As the world continues to battle the effects of COVID-19, steps continue to be taken to bridge the gaps which were evident long before the pandemic. It is an especially worrying time for those just beginning a higher education program or exiting into the labor market. The long-term effects of disrupted learning will impact proficiency levels necessary to gain employment, thereby lowering the employment rate for newcomers compared to previous years. The disengagement of students from their education, either through inaccessibility or choice, is an immediate obstacle to overcome. Without addressing the widened gaps in access to education, students are more likely to become demotivated and lose their aspirations to continue with their education. According to the OECD, communication is key to developing strategies for present and future circumstances which would cause school closures and lead to higher student disengagement (Gouëdard, et al., 2020). A major effort right now is to bring the economy out of recession.
The turbulence brought by COVID-19 will not abate without efforts done in partnership. Changing the way education and employment are intertwined is not only a problem faced during the pandemic, but for future generations. The connection to future employment through education and training is a growth in the education system to bridge employment access and overcome inequalities (Lambert, 2020). Research has shown us that mentorship and guidance help students enormously towards engagement and career preparedness (Brownlee, 2020). Only by working together can we overcome these negativities brought about by COVID-19 and prevent long-lasting impacts for students in their transition from education to career pathways (Decent Jobs for Youth, 2020).
References
Aaronson, S. & Alba, F., 2020. Unemployment Among Young Workers During COVID-19, Washington D.C.: Brookings Institution.
Brownlee, M. I., 2020. Online Student Engagement: Bridging Gaps in the Midst of COVID-19. [Online]
Available at: https://www.naspa.org/blog/online-student-engagement-bridging-gaps-in-the-midst-of-covid-19
[Accessed 5 January 2021].
Decent Jobs for Youth, 2020. Youth and Covid-19: Impacts on jobs, Education, Rights and Mental Well-being , Genève: Internationl Labour Organisation.
Gouëdard, P., Pont, B. & Viennet, R., 2020. "Education responses to COVID-19: shaping an implementation strategy", OECD Education Working Papers, Issue 224, pp. 1-7.
Lambert, L., 2020. In a Post-Covid World, Community Colleges Must Bridge the Gap Between Education and Employment. [Online]
Available at: https://www.ccdaily.com/2020/07/in-a-post-covid-world-community-colleges-must-bridge-the-gap-between-education-and-employment/
[Accessed 5 January 2021].
Photo Credit: Nikita Kachanovsky Unsplash
