Do we listen enough to young voices?

In my very first job as a maid at the prestigious Grand Hotel in Bodø. It was the summer I turned 17. I got the job because my older brother was already working in the hotel’s potwash.

That summer I learned to get up early, get to work and clock in before 7 am. I also learned that Saturday and Sunday were not necessarily days off. 

I cleaned bathrooms, hoovered, dusted and made beds. The last activity was strictly monitored by the hotel manager’s right-hand woman – his Swedish wife.

In the lunch room, I was comforted by the other, far more experienced maids. Some had been working there for decades. That taught me something about the importance of a good working environment.

At the end of the summer, I had experiences to put in my CV and hard cash in my purse. 

This edition of the Nordic Labour Journal is about being young in the Nordic region.

These days, it is not that easy to get a job when you are under 18 and have no work experience or contacts.

“Our experience is that many have prejudices against people under 18. We want to show that many of us are eager to pitch in and want to work,” says Emma Aas. She has started the youth business RaskJobb with four classmates. It is an answer to those who label young people as being lazy. 

Young Enterprise Norway is a not-for-profit enterprise that promotes enterprise among young people as early as in primary school, giving them a chance to try a bit of entrepreneurship and working life. 

"Young Enterprise is important for the labour market and for young people,” says Grete Ingeborg Nykkelmo, CEO of Young Enterprise Norway.

Far from all young entrepreneurs carry on this career path. But our report from Denmark shows how more and more Aarhus University students choose to start their own businesses to solve important social issues. One of them is doctor Christina Gravgaard Andersen. 

“I could not see myself in a job or creating a company where making the most money possible was the main thing,” says Gravgaard Andersen. 

Children and young people are doing fairly well in the Nordics, but the place where they grow up matters for their education and leisure time. That is the conclusion of the new Swedish report “The importance of location—young people in rural areas.” 

It shows that fewer young people from rural areas go on to study at universities or other higher educational institutions compared to young people in cities. If you are young and live in a rural area, chances are you will choose vocational training and start working earlier than city youths.

Measures aimed at children and young people are high on the political agenda in all the Nordic countries for a reason – not all young people are doing that well. Surveys show that many young people struggle mentally, are outside of education and work and they are pessimistic about the future. 

We tell the story of how municipalities in Iceland and Sweden approach these challenges.

In the Swedish town of Åstorp, Emilie Holmkvist is one of many young people who have entered the workforce thanks to Ung Kraft 2.0, an initiative that focuses on successful matching between job seekers and employers.

At the Zelsíuz Youth Center in Árborg Municipality, located in southern Iceland, they have found that early intervention is key and that the most important thing is having the time and space to care for each young person.  

Finland took over the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers at the start of the year. Children and young people will be a top priority. 

What does this mean in practice? We asked Anders Adlercreutz, Finland's Minister of Education and Nordic Cooperation. He is particularly concerned about the increasing prevalence of mental health issues among young people and believes the Nordic collaboration provides an excellent platform for finding effective solutions.

So, do we have reason to worry? Unfortunately, yes, according to young people the Nordic Labour Journal has spoken with. 

“The most important thing now is to give young people the opportunity and tools to make a difference today—not tomorrow. By then, it might already be too late,” says 23-year-old Andreas Salomonsson."

My recommendation to everyone is to listen to those this is actually about: the young people.

Happy reading!