Supporting people into work is an integral part of their personal and professional development. Since the aftermath, there is a high demand for employment support such as careers advice and wellbeing sessions for readjusting into employment or adapting to a changing workplace environment after a prolonged period of unemployment. In this blog, we discuss the importance of supporting young people in work and the steps to take from my personal experience recovering from the pandemic.
Mentoring
A mentor through a line manager or an industry professional is highly recommended to coach and guide you with relevant advice into the sector you wish to enter. Mentoring is a great way to foster and nurture career development as this can help you explore different career options. Through your mentor, you also gain guidance within a particular industry, and it also helps personal growth and professional development.
Mental health and wellbeing support
This is a big topic as the pandemic has had a significant impact on many people’s mental health and wellbeing. Many of us have faced unemployment, being placed on furlough or being made redundant for the first time or after a long time. Some of us could not access the labour market due to the shortage of career options during the pandemic. I find that wellbeing sessions offered within the workplace can support readjusting to the workplace and personal development workshops or opportunities to thrive within a career.
Knowledge of the labour market
I feel that we need to provide more knowledge and insight into the labour market as this can highly influence a decision you might make regarding your career. Many of us would like to understand how the labour market works, especially in industries that are thriving or not. We also need to discuss transferable skills as many people have gained new skills during a role or through volunteering which might help understand which skills are required by an industry or a specific role.
