For those of us who have been in the workforce for many years it’s understandable that we may have forgotten what it’s like to be at the life junction between education and career. But no matter your age we are all still figuring out life as we go and currently living through the same global pandemic. While everyone’s situation is unique, there may be some important lessons we can learn from the ‘resilience generation’ in the way that they are responding to this with purpose.
Firstly, here’s why Gen Z are being dubbed the ‘Resilience Generation’
Covid-19 has had a dramatic effect on every corner of society, but most prominently on youth, whose future prospects are at an all time low. Today there is the largest generation of young people the world has ever known. Yet according to research more than one in 10 people aged 16 – 25 have lost their job since the pandemic began. Covid has also accelerated the creation and destruction of whole industries.
But despite these hardships this generation have proven themselves to be the most resilient yet. With the crisis reshaping the world of work and speeding the digital transformation young people have had to take the initiative and learn new ways to develop digitally in a more meaningful way, to showcase themselves, network, learn experientially and grow their talents with an increasingly creative and entrepreneurial mindset. In fact ‘creativity’ went from being the tenth most in-demand skill for employers in 2015, to the third in 2020, according to the World Economic Forum.
At Goodwall, a social enterprise app working to help tackle the youth jobs crisis by connecting people to opportunities, we’re inspired daily by our community of young people. These are just a few examples:
Mukisa Derrick
Despite overcoming countless hardships growing up, Derrick has proven his resilience and today works tirelessly to help other disadvantaged children in the slums of Kampala, Uganda by providing food, shelter, medical care and, most of all, hope. An active member of the Goodwall community he has shared his story and participated in many of the virtual challenges on the platform. After winning a cash prize from one such challenge, he then spent his winning funds to organize a meal for 143 orphan kids from the Kisenyi slum in the center of Kampala.
Lella Violet Halloum
A 16 year old student based in Yorkshire, UK and an active member of Goodwall since Spring 2020, Lella has inspired hundreds of fellow young people in the community by sharing her passion for ‘tech for good’ & closing the digital divide. She has no shortage of achievements, being named a 2021 IBM Champion for her efforts to break existing stereotypes surrounding the tech industry, all alongside her A-Level studies. Through her work, Lella strides to diversify the tech industry by creating more opportunities for young people, particularly minority groups & those with non-traditional academic backgrounds, highlighting the important role young people play in the industry and wider society. As an IBM Z Ambassador, Champion, and IBM Z Global Student Senator, Lella is a frequent speaker, thought leader, and advocate for young people and is a shining example of a young woman ‘making waves’ in the STEM field.
What can you take away from this?
Ultimately, these inspiring stories highlight how digital connectivity can better the world and the importance of widening your network. With this generation continuing to push forward for the creation of a better society, we can all hope that we’ll emerge in this ‘new normal’ era even stronger than before.