Anglų Kalba , Students JOB

YOUNG PEOPLE IN TRANSITION IN LITHUANIA

Due to the changing economic and social environment, the prestige of educated people has been increasing, thus, more and more young people seek better education. Out of the total number of schoolchildren who finished lower secondary school, almost all of them continued further studies (in 1992 – 94%). A bigger number of young people are inclined to work as high qualified specialists. Therefore, more schoolchildren, after finishing upper secondary schools, tend tto seek further education. In 1998 the number of young people who continued studying was 20 000 (87%) out of 23 000 (62%).

Most students try to live on their own, but it is not as easy as it looks from the first time. Income of young people is smaller as compared with income of all employed people. Young people with higher and college type education receives higher income.

Seeking to provide assistance for those searching for a job, in 1998 tthe Lithuanian Center of Information on Professions was established. Feeling responsible for the future, young people try to attain better education and strengthen their position within the labor market. Thus, they are not in a rush to form families and pprefer to stay at their parents for a longer time. In 2002 the marriage rate of people younger than 25 years old was twice as low as in 1998. As an alternative, young people choose cohabitation, which is becoming more popular. The delay of getting married conditioned the decline of the fertility rate. Students find thousands of ways how to live economically, but they still are looking for job from the first year of studying. Why?

The scholarship is too less to pay taxes and to live all month.

Students need money for their leisure.

When working, they get practice, which they will need in the future life.

Work makes students independent from others.

Presently we have refused the compulsory eemployment of young specialists. However, the mechanism that would facilitate the employment of young specialists has not been created, and, consequently, a considerable number of young people seek a job themselves.

Approximately one third of students studying bachelor degree and four fifths of students studying master degree work and study simultaneously. Quite a number of young people with higher education prefer searching for a job by asking friends and acquaintances for help and looking for job opportunity themselves.

How to start

Students’ oorganizations always held a lot of programs to help for others find a suitable job. Kaunas University of technology has its own Career’s centre and held Career’s mart. Lithuanian firms and assignees from foreign companies come here and meet students. It is the easier way for students to catch their chance, maybe you are that special one, which one they are looking for?

Part-time job

In Lithuania it is not popular to have part-time work. In 2002 89% of all employed population worked full-time, i.e. 40 hours per week, while only 11% were part-time workers. Since quite a number of students work and study at the same time, young people form a bigger number of part-time employees in comparison with the total number of employed, i.e. in 2002 they formed 21%. 20% of men and 23% of women were working part-time. Most part-time workers are students, because this kind of job is the most suitable for them. It is rather difficult to evaluate the number of employed people in an informal sector. The existing laws prohibit informal work, i.e. work without contracts. On the basis of the data of labor force survey, approximately 5% of employed population work according to oral aagreement, i.e. informally. According to various experts’ estimations, such workers make up 10-12%.

Best opportunity

Nowadays students have a lot of chances to visit other countries and to earn a lot of money. The most popular programs among students are:

• Work & Travel (USA) is the largest and most popular work exchange program. University students can work in U.S. for up to 4 months, and then travel in U.S. for up to 30 more days. They offer students “Work & Travel USA” programs of two well-known and experienced U.S. organizations / sponsors.

• Au-Pair- it is a program which gives an opportunity for girls to works as tenders in foreign families.

• Concordia

• Hops

• Internship / Training USA

The main organization, which helps for students to find jobs in abroad, is Lithuanians’ World Center, which cooperates with a number of organizations abroad providing International students and youth exchange programs. Lithuanians’ World Center selects Lithuanian students and youth to various exchange programs to the United States of America, United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Finland, Ireland. The most popular are work exchange programs, which allow students and youth to work legally in a foreign country, thus earning back money spent for program, insurance, travel and stay abroad. Lithuanian students and youth aare motivated, hardworking; most of them speak English well. Because of that foreign employers are satisfied with our students and youth work, and after their program most employers would like to invite our participants to work once again.

Special now, when Lithuania is in Europe Union, there are a lot chances for every one of us to go abroad, find a good, well-paid job, get an unforgettable experience and the knowledge of another language and culture.

What kind of job students take

There are a lot of kinds of works that students would like to get, bet there are just a couple of jobs that they can work. To get a great job with good pay, you must have a diploma of university or something else. So students take a job, that doesn’t need any diplomas or experience. The most popular job for students is waiter or waitress, barman or something from constructional, also ancillary works in shopping centers or something else. Often girls work as a tender. They look after old people or small kids. It’s quite nice job, because it doesn’t takes a lot of energy and health. But there is one minus of job for students– often it

hinder to study. Job takes all free time and that time which are intended for learning.

It is very popular between full-time students to work in afternoon, in the evening or at night. Students take job such as a guard or night ancillary works. It’s quite difficult to work at night, because you have to come to university early at the morning.

There are a lot of kinds of works in other countries. For example my friend worked in Chicago. Maybe it ssounds silly, but he was a lifeguard at Water Attractions Park. Other friends carried for old people, others worked at shops. Often young people get dirty jobs in foreign countries, for example they pick strawberries or other berries. Lithuanians are cheap working power, so they are attractive in other countries.

Hobby and job

Some students match their hobbies and work. I play basketball more that ten years and now sport became not only my hobby and leisure spending, it became my work. IIt’s pleasure to get money for doing your hobby. Pay is rising year by year, so you haven’t to work any other job. My friends earn money just for sitting by the computer all day. They create web pages to llots of companies.

Conclusion

In conclusion I want to say that it is quite important to have a job during studies. Lots of students find a pleasure getting some money, so sometimes they forget about their studies. Often then students left Lithuania ant go abroad to earn some money, they leave their studies and stay there. I think it is negative attitude, because studies are in the first places. We will be always catching to work after we finish university.

Material is taken from:

• Internet

http://www.plc.lt

http://www.jaunimas.lt

http://www.uniceficdc.org/research/ESP/CountryReports1999/Lit99rep.pdf

http://www.cvonline.lt

http://www.ktusa.lt

http://www.careerkey.org/cgi-bin/ck.pl?action=choices

http://www.princetonreview.com/cte/quiz/career_quiz1.asp

http://career.missouri.edu/

http://www.assessment.com

http://www.allthetests.com

Vocabulary:

• Mart – mugė

• Assignee – atstovas

• To earn – užsidirbti

• Constructional – statybos

• Ancillary works – Pagalbiniai darbai

• A tender – auklė

• To hinder – Kliudyti

• Intended – skirtas

• A guard – Apsaugininkas

• Attitude – požiūris

• Waiter/waitress – Padavėjas, padavėja

• Exchange program – keitimosi programa

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