Young people must be heard about solutions to the neither-nors

Young Brazilians are in dismay, and it is necessary to listen to them in order to build solutions. The analysis is by researcher Mônica Peregrino, from the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Unirio), a specialist in youth, but it is also in the voice of youth leaders who warn against the waste of talent, strength and energy of young people.

Specialists and young people point out necessary policies to face the lack of opportunities that affects 36% of young Brazilians, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

“Studying and working is a very unique characteristic of young Brazilians, working is a very important part of young people’s identity, unlike in other countries”,

points out Unirio professor Mônica Peregrino.

in the article Trends in the School-Work Transition, she presents the situation of young Brazilians in the survey of Ibero-American youths. According to the study, which is yet to be published, young Brazilians, especially the poorest, suffer from a lack of integration.

“Not studying and not working is present in all socioeconomic groups: it is practically residual among the better-off groups, but three times higher in the poorest groups. It is not a matter of personal desire, these young people have a hard time with institutional engagement.”

The study also shows how the transition between school and the labor market takes place. “The study clearly shows that the transition for the richest is smooth, whereas this transition for the poorest young people is much more abrupt and without the mediation of the possibility of studying and working”, observes Mônica.

The researcher regrets, however, that, among the poorest young people, this situation of neither studying nor working leaves them on the margins of society.

“The consequences for the poorest, women, and especially among blacks and part of the browns, is that there is a transition to adult life outside regular social engagements, such as school and work, therefore outside public policies, citizenship rights, which are issues of integration”,

he said.

In the opinion of Mônica Peregrino, the latest reforms in the country have made it difficult for young people to attend school and enter the job market.

“The secondary education reform, which establishes a longer period of study for young people, is, on the other hand, significantly reducing, at the state level, regular night schooling, that is pushing these individuals who were trying to integrate”, he warns.

“The labor reform, on the other hand, made work that was already quite problematic precarious and worsened the quality of work for young people.”

In the face of this, what is seen is the dismay of youth. “There is a movement in search of integration, but there is youth discouragement, tiredness, a lack of horizons, these last years take their toll, and the effects of this are that these young people find it much more difficult to integrate themselves to the full possibilities of society”, considers the teacher.

To develop effective actions, according to her, it is necessary to listen to young people. “We have to listen to young people and their specific needs. For example, many young women find it difficult to study because they have no one to leave their children with, so we need nurseries or spaces that can take care of the children of these women, it would be an important element.”

Actions to encourage and stimulate learning can also have good results, says Mônica Peregrino.

“Having a policy to revive youth and adult education would be another important element, because these people who are on the edge of society enter these spaces through the institutions that manage to compose the edges. Support policies are needed for education, for work and to support the combination between study and work, mainly to ensure that young people will be able to study and work at the same time.”

Permanence policies

In the opinion of the newly elected president of the National Union of Students (UNE), Manuella Mirela, it is necessary to seize the moment to advance economically and thus involve young people.

“Brazil is going through its demographic window – the moment when the economically active population is greater than the rest – and it is at this moment that the country can produce, advance economically, create reserves for when we enter the demographic burden predicted for the next decade”,

stands out.

“The so-called neither-nor represent a major concern and are, above all, a great waste of youth strength and energy, both for young people, who find themselves in precarious work to generate income and without prospects, and for national development for this and the next generations”, he adds.

For Manuella, the moment is to resume incentives for young people. “We need a resumption agenda for decent work, to curb the advance of ‘uberization’, programs to curb school and university dropouts – permanence policies – and secondary education focused on technical training without neglecting traditional disciplines”, she says.

President of the Brazilian Union of Secondary Students (Ubes), Jade Beatriz highlights the evasion of young people from school.

“High school is an educational bottleneck, where we have very high dropout rates – 500,000 per year. The idea is that this step improves critical thinking, provides a basis for graduation and prepares for the world of work. However, it doesn’t happen. Many students drop out of school to generate income for their families, but end up falling into precarious, self-employed work, without labor rights.”

Jade regrets that the precarious condition and, therefore, outside the statistics, lead these young people to this situation. “Thus, they fall into the neither-nor, when, in fact, they are living the extreme of ‘uberization’ – and without any condition to continue their education, let alone go on to graduation.”

The solution, in her understanding, is investment in education. “Thinking about the high school stage, Brazil needs investments in technical schools, to contain this evasion and ensure that these students can migrate from precarious work to decent work, earn income, be a workforce for national development and even continue on to higher education”.

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