On Thursday 24 September, Inspire Youth Worker Megan Grove joined a panel of young professionals at Suffolk Chamber of Commerce’s Gen Z Takeover event, held at Venue 16 in Ipswich as part of the Norfolk and Suffolk Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).
The event brought employers and young people together to explore what the next generation is looking for from the workplace, how businesses can attract and retain young talent, and what employers can do to better support those at the beginning of their careers.
As both a member of Gen Z and a Youth Worker at Inspire, Megan brought a valuable perspective to the discussion, drawing on her own experiences of entering employment alongside her work supporting young people across Suffolk.
At Inspire, we believe young people should be part of the conversations that shape their futures. Giving them the opportunity to share their experiences directly with employers helps challenge assumptions, break down barriers and create workplaces where young people can thrive.
Here, Megan shares her experience of the event in her own words.
Megan’s experience
Today I had the pleasure of attending the LSIP Gen-z takeover event at Venue 16 as guest on their panel. This event was all about providing employers with the opportunity to gain insight about what exactly the newest members of the workforce are looking for when they enter employment, and for them to learn how to best attract this demographic.
I believe this is a topic of high importance, with approximately 981,000 young people who are currently NEET, action must be taken. Having dedicated much of my time to the wellbeing and support of young people across Suffolk since the age of 16, this is event was something that really resonated with me. Naturally, when I was invited to come and share my own experience, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to do so.
Throughout the event, discussions were had about mine and my fellow panellists’ journeys into employment and what lead us to our current roles, it was a real privilege to share my experience with all those in attendance and to receive such amazing engagement and encouragement. I had a great time speaking about the best ways to support an employee at the very beginning of their career, the changes employers can make to create an accessible space for those who are neurodiverse or who have battled with their mental health and advising employers on how to reach the next generation to motivate them to pursue a career they feel passionate towards.
There are many pre-conceived ideas about gen-z; we are unmotivated, unready for the workplace, unable to communicate in person and would prefer to just work from home. Whilst there are instances these stereotypes can be seen to be true, each young person is an individual with their own ambitions, their own interests and something to bring to the table. It was really positive to be able to break down these barriers, and help get the message across that, in my opinion, every young person has something valuable they can offer you, as long as you are willing and able to nurture it.
There was a great energy in the room, and in the end, I think the general consensus was that there is something we can all be doing to make a difference in a young person’s life. If we all work together, I believe we can begin to make real change for young people across Suffolk and Norfolk. I thank everyone who took the time to listen to us today, and I cannot express my appreciation enough for those who have taken on board our feedback and plan to apply it within their own practises.
Making an impression
Megan’s contribution certainly made an impression, with Inspire receiving positive feedback from colleagues at East Coast College and Venue 16 following the event.
Both praised the contributions of the speakers, with particular recognition for Megan, describing her as a real credit to Inspire.
It was also lovely to hear that Inspire’s Holly Giles, who attended the event, had been sharing her own support and ideas with fellow attendees, giving them practical suggestions to take away.
We’re incredibly proud of both Megan and Holly for representing Inspire and contributing to such an important conversation.
Listening to the next generation
Young people have their own ambitions, experiences and ideas about what they want from their working lives. Creating opportunities for them to share those perspectives, and for employers to listen, is an important part of building a workforce where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.
Events like Gen Z Takeover demonstrate what can happen when young people are given a seat at the table, not just as the subject of conversations about employment, but as active contributors to them.
Thank you to Suffolk Chamber of Commerce and everyone involved in bringing the event together, and to the employers who took the time to listen to the next generation of their workforce.
Young people don’t lack ambition, they lack opportunity. By working together, we can help change that.
