Words by Ben.
With the recent doom and gloom in the news that youth unemployment is at an all-time high since records began in 1992 one must consider oneself lucky to be in employment (of sorts). In the last quarter, 1.02 million 16-25 year-olds were out of work, which has made me realise how lucky I am to have an internship – and the even better news: it is paid! JCPR seems to always have a turnover of interns, and it is this generosity to give young people a chance to prove themselves as capable of working in PR that is important not only on a personal basis, but for the economy as well. It is not, however, in any way a charity case. The role of the intern is an important one. Yes, you may be at the disposal of anyone for any odd job, but it is the symbiosis of all the working parts that makes the PR machine work.
Sadly, the prospects for youth unemployment, and general unemployment for that matter, does not look to be getting better any time soon. The crisis in the Eurozone has worsened since the last quarter and the figures for the current quarter are expected to be even higher when they are released in a few months time. The damage to the economy is obvious, but socially it is a drastic situation. The summer riots across Britain are testament to this and perhaps should not have taken us by surprise as much as they did. I would like to point out that I am not putting this despicable phenomenon purely down to youth unemployment, but it is certainly a major factor.
The importance of offering internships and employment of any sorts is, therefore, all the more important in times of economic decline. It is useful on two levels that are mutually beneficially between the two parties involved: Firstly, for the individual being given an opportunity and secondly, for the employing company as a source of labour where full-time employment may not be a viable option.
I’m really enjoying my time here at JCPR and definitely learning some great skills that will stand me in great stead for the future in today’s competitive job market.
