Dear mum, dad and guardian,

Summer vacations are here again and our children and wards are here for between two to three months and we have a responsibility as adults to help them have a productive and eventful break from school work and academics. Many parents are pleased that the young ones had great academics years and look forward to them getting back to school in the next academic year. How will we engage these young ones for the next few months to make them better than when they left school last month.

These are some of the ways I have observed some youths are spending their time

• Visiting family and friends
• Hanging around in recreational areas and the neighborhood.
• Computer games, all night TV movies and series watching.

Some of the ways we can direct our young ones to spend the valuable time they have on their hand that will develop them.

• Volunteer at a not for profit organisation
• Intern in a corporate setting
• Honed sporting skills or learn a new sport
• Learn a new language or improve others
• Attend summer school to prepare them for the next academic year
• Involve them in household chores making them responsible for certain tasks
• Put them into skills acquisition classes- cooking, carpentry, drama, makeup, baking, music, event planning etc.
• Excursion to factories, farms, historical sites etc.

The world is changing rapidly and we have to adjust to the time and signs, I will share an experience with you to put perspective on the situation at hand.

Recently a friend of a friend contacted me to let me know her daughter was moving back to Nigeria after completing her tertiary education in the UK. She wanted some help with placing her in a workspace as quickly as she lands in Nigeria. I immediately asked her to ask her daughter to send me her CV and personal profile for me to review after which I would have a chat with her to explore opportunities that she could explore.

The CV and profile arrives in the email, it was bland to say the least, good schools, good grades but not much else to help me get a sense of the young lady. She didn’t have any skills that could guide my assessment of her. I asked her to skype me for a chat.

My first question was what would you like to do work wise.

Her answer: Work in a nice corporate setting with good prospects, a good pay and career progression that can lead her to management level.

That answer was fair but such organisations also are looking for candidates that are:

• Skilled
• Have a work track record
• Have corporate environment experience especially working under supervision
• Can handle schedules and office responsibilities
• Are somewhat ‘Office –broken’- will treat time respectfully etc.

We couldn’t find a fit, i tried and showed her CV to a few friends that could help but the competition out there is fierce, kids that have worked every summer for 5-7 years, their scope and responsibilities have grown year on year and made them prime candidates.

The prime candidates understand work and office culture, they have a network of friends that are also getting into top firms from the co-worker summer groups, they understand how to dress in the workplace, the value of time and how to manage commitment to being at work daily and on time are already established, they are familiar with work and business languages and etiquette, they have an understanding of how much time work takes and the commensurate value in money terms. These are some of the thoughts shared with me from potential HR persons.

So what should you do if all you have planned for your children is a holiday abroad or a chillaxed 3 month vacation? Wake up, pick up your phones and start calling all your contacts to find a place for your young adult to pick up a few skills. The most appropriate time to start this process is easter but all is not lost. Better late than never.

If per chance you are a business mogul and have a chain of companies and you have reserved a space on the board for your child to slide into upon graduation, please ignore this letter and get on trip advisor to find a few exotic vacation spots they can visit to get their required rest and relaxation before the 2017/2018 session starts.