You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Unemployment remains the biggest challenge to school-leavers in most countries. How far do you agree with this assessment? What other challenges face young people today?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer 1: [Agreement]
Adolescents face several challenges on their path to adulthood and successful career. And it becomes even more difficult for school-leavers as sorting their ways out in the employment market seems to be the immediate obstacle they encounter. Besides, other social and family issues often hurt them, and this essay shed some light on the topic.
Regarding the problems fresh school graduates face, the most acute is the scepticism harboured by employers over hiring them. It seems to be the reason behind the high unemployment rates in many countries, especially in third-world countries where managing a job by a school leaver is exceptionally difficult. Employers usually look for experienced workers who possess practical skills and at least a college degree. Hence, school graduates with no prior experience are often placed at the bottom of the shortlist. For instance, due to unemployment, many university graduates apply for simple clerical jobs, which makes the scenario for school-leavers even more baffling.
Moreover, limited job prospect is another big problem for them. Even the school-leavers are lucky enough to secure a job, they have to work long hours with low wages. They often do not have sufficient time and money to pursue higher academic qualifications needed for career progression. Consequently, they are trapped in lower positions with limited social mobility.
Sadly, young people are not only challenged by employment problems. They may consistently live under the threat of political instability, social unrest, sexual and racial discrimination, and child marriage – all of which are beyond their control. These risks pose actual threats to the physical safety of youngsters in addition to their livelihoods.
To conclude, unemployment is one of the major problems for young people, especially for school-leavers. However, the lack of safety, social unrest, and discriminations are also serious problems for them in parts of the world.
[Written by – Vanessa]
Sample Answer 2: [Disagreement]
Unemployment is a significant challenge in many parts of the world today, but it is not the biggest challenge to school-leavers in most countries. So, I disagree with the idea of the essay. Here, I will also outline other serious challenges that are faced by young people today.
School-leavers are young people who are generally very optimistic and enthusiastic about joining the professional world, but they are also generally very inexperienced at the same time about the realities of life as well as the professional world. In many cases, these school-leavers do not also have the necessary skills, aptitude and acumen, needed to enter or compete in the job market. But, once these school-leavers receive some proper training and experience, related to the available jobs, getting a job suddenly does not remain such a big challenge anymore.
A far bigger challenge for high school graduates is the dilemma to decide whether to take a year break or continue education, do a part-time job or take a skill development course, stay with the family or live alone, get into a relationship or focus on the future career and so on. Those decisions are crucial for their future and are quite challenging for young minds. For instance, more than 68% of school-leavers in our capital city find making the right decision far more challenging than getting a part-time job. Finally, staying away from bad companies and bad habits seems like another challenge that young people find really hard. Some bad companies can ruin the life of a school graduate without him or her even realising it. So this is extremely challenging.
In conclusion, unemployment is a big challenge, but not the biggest challenge for school-leavers. Deciding on important directions in life and staying away from bad friends and bad habits are much more challenging for them.
Sample Answer 3: [Agreement]
The unemployment rate among youngsters who have recently finished school is a major concern in many countries. In my view, finding the first job is a herculean task, and the most challenging perhaps, for such youngsters just after their school graduation. As a result, many of them remain unemployed. So I agree with the opinion offered.
To begin with, the modern job pool is extremely competitive. Employers are looking for candidates with a renowned diploma as well as considerable experience. Thus, just a school certificate and some training courses cannot guarantee employment for adolescents in most countries. This is why unemployment is still the biggest problem that fresh school graduates have to face. To illustrate, more than 66% of school-leavers in many subcontinent regions remain unemployed because they are not eligible to apply for better jobs and due to the lack of suitable jobs for them in the job market.
Besides unemployment, school-leavers often face family pressure and money insufficiency that they cannot avoid. According to the research conducted by the Bureau of Statistics, one of the major social issues for fresh school leavers is the expectations from their family to support them, especially in needy families. The research reveals that such youngsters were ready to work extra hours or find a not-so-suitable part-time job just to support their families. But getting a decent job was tremendously challenging.
In conclusion, youngsters face several difficulties after they complete school education, such as family pressure and the shortage of money. However, the most challenging task for them, in my opinion, is finding their first stable job.
[Written by – Arthur]