Q1. What is your project about?
Callum: My project is about allowing young people to start their careers and create a hub for them to find employers. We are living in a world where grades and university degrees are becoming common. By giving young people the opportunity to find a place to work such as; a summer internship or a Saturday job in a café they will be able to gain real-world experiences and skills that are simply unteachable. It has been proven that there are two kinds of skills Soft and Hard skills. Hard skills are fundamental such as; numeracy, writing and reading. Soft skills are things such as; interpersonal skills which can only be gained by social interaction. I aim to create the opportunity for every young person to find a job suited to them and gain the skills they need.
Q2. Where did the original idea stem from?
Callum: […] I looked on the current job board sites and recognised that they are not built for young people. Many jobs are focused on having a certain amount of experience which is simply not accessible. I looked deeper and realised that all the recruitment sites were charging minimum £120 for job postings, this is out of reach for small businesses who want to hire a person or just a few people on a part-time basis. I decided to come up with a cost-effective solution with young people at its heart.
Q3. What challenges have you experienced in your journey so far?
Callum: Blocking out what other people have thought of me has been a challenge. I launched my website and as expected I was pleased with myself, so I went to do some self-promotion. I posted photos on social media to show the progress I had made and the massive milestone I had crossed. On a Monday I walked into college and was speaking about the site and someone said “why are you happy? I bet you haven’t even made any profit yet”. I informed him that it had only been live for 3 days and that most businesses don’t even break even for the first year. Importantly, I asked him why he felt the need to try and bring someone down. We have a massive societal issue in the sense that people are always looking for a way to knock someone. In my view, everyone should look for ways to help others and push them forward. It’s something that as a generation we need to change. Luckily I have developed quite thick skin and can block out these kinds of comments but they still do make you think whether what you are doing is going to be successful.
Q4. What is that you are trying to achieve by the end of the year? Callum: By the end of the year, I aim to have many people signed up to the service looking for work and the employers to match them. I also aim to expand from my local city of Norwich into cities such as London and Cambridge. In addition, I will aim to be doing more public speaking in person, on podcasts and through Youtube channels.
Q5. What do you want the legacy of your project to be known for?
Callum: I want to be known for changing the preconceptions about young people and work. I am to assist in creating the most able and skilled generation of workers that the world has ever seen. I aim to show that not all the skills needed to be successful can be taught in the classroom. I want my legacy to be a key player in the creation of the best “Working Generation”.
Q6. Where can people find you?
Website: www.workinggeneration.co.uk
Instagram: working_generation