Young generation as future employees. In search of identity in the labor market: comparative research (Poland and Ukraine)

Abstract

The study is an attempt to characterise the approach to work of a selected group of representatives of the young generation - future employees and thus determine their identity on the labour market. The trial of this characteristic was based on the analysis of the literature on the subject and own research carried out in Poland and Ukraine. On this basis, conclusions regarding values valued by young people were made. The ranking place of work in the value system of the surveyed group of respondents and what model of life prefer representatives of the young generation is also indicated. The constantly changing labor market forces young people to constantly improve, preferably in different areas at the same time. It requires flexibility and dynamism, mobility and creativity. The individual must accept this and try to meet the requirements of today's permanently changing labor market. Internationalization and the continuous change that occurs in the area of human work and thus also in the labor market cause constant adaptation of the individual to new norms and rules prevailing in the world of work. Universities, which should be noted, are not able to prepare units perfectly for work, because the working environments themselves are changing too quickly. They are primarily intended to provide such knowledge and skills that in the future will increase employability, and thus shape future employees. The theory that young people acquire for many years within the university walls is certainly an element needed to perform a specific profession, but it must go hand in hand with apprenticeships or contacts with the world of employers. Globalization forces the education process to change towards innovative education that would overcome the bad habits of schematic teaching. Young people must be ready for constant change.

Headnote

Published online: April 30, 2020

(Accepted for publication: April 15, 2020)

DOI:10.7752/jpes.2020.s2140

Abstract

The study is an attempt to characterise the approach to work of a selected group of representatives of the young generation - future employees and thus determine their identity on the labour market. The trial of this characteristic was based on the analysis of the literature on the subject and own research carried out in Poland and Ukraine. On this basis, conclusions regarding values valued by young people were made. The ranking place of work in the value system of the surveyed group of respondents and what model of life prefer representatives of the young generation is also indicated. The constantly changing labor market forces young people to constantly improve, preferably in different areas at the same time. It requires flexibility and dynamism, mobility and creativity. The individual must accept this and try to meet the requirements of today's permanently changing labor market. Internationalization and the continuous change that occurs in the area of human work and thus also in the labor market cause constant adaptation of the individual to new norms and rules prevailing in the world of work. Universities, which should be noted, are not able to prepare units perfectly for work, because the working environments themselves are changing too quickly. They are primarily intended to provide such knowledge and skills that in the future will increase employability, and thus shape future employees. The theory that young people acquire for many years within the university walls is certainly an element needed to perform a specific profession, but it must go hand in hand with apprenticeships or contacts with the world of employers. Globalization forces the education process to change towards innovative education that would overcome the bad habits of schematic teaching. Young people must be ready for constant change.

Key words: education, work, youth, identity, labour market

Introduction

At present, the situation of young people on the labour market, their difficulties in finding their first job or the incongruity of the education area to the needs of the labour market are topics often raised by experts (Kukla, 2018). Despite the improving economic situation on the labour market, which is relatively more favourable than in other European Union countries, young people (Żarczyńska-Dobiesz, Chomątowska, 2016) as participants in the labour market require constant monitoring and support from the state, especially access to specialists in the field of promotion and employment. The labour market in relation to the individual is more and more demanding, the problem of matching professional qualifications to the needs reported by entrepreneurs has become particularly noticeable. Although universities and vocational schools are systematically expanding their educational offer, the lack of adequate adaptation of education to the needs of the global labour market is still noticeable.

The meaning of work for the young in the era of constant changes

Work for a man is one of the most important elements in life, because thanks to it he can function in a specific society but also can plan the implementation of future goals. It allows to implement your plans, as well as make new contacts with others. "Human work is the kind of activity that determines human existence in the world around him, learning about reality and transforming it depending on own needs. You can't imagine society without a job. It is the basic form of activity in the life of an adult, it is an important element of the content of life, it determines the possibility of existence, development of individuals and society. Mutual relationships and relationships between man and his work are in the form of feedback. By undertaking a job, a person influences its character and shape, chooses the profession that suits him. On the other hand, work affects people, their values, intellectual and professional skills, and shapes their personality (Karney, 1998).

One can risk the statement that nowadays work for young people has a completely different meaning than for earlier generations. This may result from profound changes taking place in the socio-economic sphere. Far-reaching globalization processes, change of consciousness, culture, different generational-historical experiences, differences in access to education can contribute to creating a kind of intergenerational distance (Galas, 2011). Work is first and foremost human being. An apt reference to this statement seems to be the words of Adam Solak, who in the work entitled "Christian education and human work", writes: "Work in the subjective sense always has a personalistic expression. It is the structure of a human person realizing himself in the social and individual dimension. (...) Work is the more meaningful and fruitful the more it is connected with the human person, the more it contributed to that person's structure and life. Its value comes from the essence of the human person. (...) The value and ultimate sense of work is its personalistic dimension. " (Solak, 2012).

Young people perceive the meaning of work and related values in a different way than those who are already settled. Therefore young people who are just starting work perceive it above everything from the perspective of their professional careers. Life goals and aspirations of young employees are focused more on professional matters than family and living matters. During this period, work becomes their dominant value. However, it is primarily about ambitions related to the acquisition of titles, i.e. promotions. They value work because it was, for example, the purpose of education or qualification (Prawda, 1987). Over time, work for young people has additional value, because thanks to it they can become independent.

As the individual develops, his view of the importance of work as a value also changes. For young people who are just entering the labour market, the top of the hierarchy is occupied by the value of the work itself and the associated professional successes. In the next stages of life, people perceive work and the associated values differently. Work becomes a source of economic benefits, and the family becomes the dominant value. However, as people grow older, work becomes an important value again, but not for economic reasons. Simply because of work people feel needed and appreciated. Account should also be taken of differences in the hierarchy of values in the lives of women and men. Therefore, the importance of work as a value can be considered in many ways. As a result it may be said that work is a very important value in humans life (Pelekh, Kukla, 2019). The role of work in shaping people was also emphasized by Adam Solak, who noticed the educational aspect of work, while highlighting that by undertaking activities and thus work, man develops his personality. Therefore, work which is properly selected to our preferences, expectations, our personality, skills and predispositions can make a person happy and fulfilled. Then we can talk about the value of work as an autotelic value (in itself). In this sense, as well as in the sense of work as a source of income, work can undoubtedly meet the "needs of people as biological entities", which, as emphasized above, is part of the dilemmas of modern values.

Work influences in a directly and indirect way the human development and improves it. A man creates cultural and civilization values through work. However, the values created by work, and in particular material values, are lower in the hierarchy than the values of work itself. It can therefore be said that every work done in a conscious and dignified manner affects a person, leaving a trace in personality. Over the centuries, work - its importance for the individual and entire societies - has undergone transformations that were triggered by the development of industry, technology and social revolution. It was the man himself who changed the approach to the obligation to work, to perform work, and discovered new benefits resulting from it. Work is now a very important aspect of life. It largely influences how the individual functions in other areas of his life. In addition to fun and learning, it is the work that is one of the basic areas of human activity, which gives a certain higher level of value and importance. Work has an impact on moral development. It provides a space for cooperation between people and human groups. In order to realise the significant importance of work in human life, attention should be paid to the constantly growing phenomenon of unemployment, which is detrimental to the essence of a capable person and wants to realise his natural right to work and the professional duties related to him. The need for recognition, self-fulfilment, competence and professional activity well evaluated by colleagues and superiors are very important for satisfying human needs sphere of life.

Work takes on a new and different value for young generations. This is the result of many changes - both socio-economic and mental. Currently, work is an indicator of prestige, the ability to ensure a certain material status (which in times of consumerism seems extremely important to many). For young generations, the possibility of personal and professional development is also becoming increasingly important (Kukla, Nowacka, 2018). On the one hand, this is due to generational changes, and hence the mentality of modern generations. On the other hand, these changes are dictated by the expectations of contemporary knowledge society as well as socio-economic changes. As Z. Wiatrowski writes, "A contemporary employee should be characterised by

К ability and need to be and act in various professional situations, including alternative situations;

К ability to undertake and carry out tasks and professional roles filled with a tendency to change;

К attitude drawn from a modern vocational school to mobile, flexible, initiative and entrepreneurial as well as creative being in own and company professional situations;

К more and more important pursuit of becoming an employee entity, characterised by: the ability to learn intellectually, the possibility of free choice, competent decision and responsible action." (Wiatrowski, 2007).

A young man must be aware that if he wants to work, he will have to master new professions and skills, and will have to move from city to city in search of work, sometimes to distant regions of the country and even the world. To be able to work effectively he will have to have a wide range of general knowledge (Babiarz, Kukla, 2012), constantly improve his professional qualifications or even acquire new ones. It should also be taken into account that the elimination from the professionally employed group condemns incomparably worse material and prestige status than those who will work. The man of the new era should have "consciously shaped personality values that were and are absent in the most ofpeople of the modern world".

The changes in the essence of human work is taking place, where work acquires a new, different value for young generations. This is the result of many transformations - both socio-economic and mental. Currently, work is an indicator of prestige, the ability to ensure a certain material status (which in times of consumerism seems extremely important to many). For young generations, the possibility of personal and professional development is also becoming increasingly important. As Federicko Mayor noted, "work no longer brings salvation to people." The world of work simply rejects, excludes those maladjusted individuals who are unable to find themselves in the changes that have taken place in the context of the professional work of a man. Only a strong man is able to cope, but this is the result of our common policy and the situation to which a man led. The work begins to take on a "Darwinist" aspect. On the one hand, this is a result of generational changes and hence the mentality of contemporary generations. On the other, these are changes dictated by the expectations of contemporary knowledge society (Wenta, 2008), as well as socio-economic transformations. To sum up: Specific challenges for a young person result from changes in the labour market, which is why work in the era of globalization is becoming increasingly important. "The economic crisis characterised by reduced production (...), limited capacity of the economy to absorb labour resources, entering the labour market for baby boom generations, (...) discriminatory, recruitment practices of employers" (Piróg, 2013) all this causes that a young man at the start of his life and career path must "fight" for positions in the labour market and for the job itself.

Globalisation trends, i.e. flexibility in the workplace, individualisation and democratisation of family life, have transformed the process of transition to the adult life of young people who need more than ever to demonstrate independence and motivation. On the one hand, these needs and expectations are conditioned by the specificity of the education and labour market, as well as the individual situation of each unit. It should be clearly emphasised that socio-economic conditions are constantly changing, the labour market is evolving, thus increasing the importance of having a job.

Matherial and methods

In the circle of research

Research on the approach to the work of a selected group of representatives of the young generation of the post-industrial era was carried out among students of pedagogical faculties (Jan Długosz University of Humanities and Sciences in Czestochowa and the Maria Grzegorzewska Academy of Special Education in Warsaw) in the period March-May 2018, and at the Rivne Humanities University in Rivne (Ukraine) The research was preceded by pilot studies. A total of 310 people took part in the relevant study on the Polish side and 263 people on the Ukrainian side. Students born after 1990 were deliberately selected for the relevant research, although the research showed that the majority of respondents were people born after 1995 (268 people - nearly 90%). In the case of the described studies, it can certainly be assumed that the surveyed students represented the young generation. 280 female students and 30 male students from Poland and 223 female and 40 male students from Ukraine joined the study. Due to the specificity of pedagogical faculties, the structure of the respondents were mostly women. Interpretation of research results should therefore mainly refer to female students of pedagogical studies. Surveyed people generally did not have professional experience (157 responses), which may be an important consideration in the context of the subject of the study, which was the approach to work.

Results

Work in the system of values of the young generation - in the light of conducted research

The values (at a declarative level) which the surveyed people respect in their lives and which place in the system of values young people attribute to work were defined in the first place. The respondents were presented with a list of values and were asked to assign them a rank from 1-5, where 5 was a very important value and 1 was not valid at all (Table 1). Based on the responses of the respondents, it can be indicated that the most-valued values for most people are: family (Szydło, 2017) (Pl-89.35%, UKR-80.60%), love (Pl-89.03%, UKR-59.31%) and health (Pl-88.38%, UKR-80.98%). It should be noted that in this aspect the surveyed representatives of the young generation were quite consentaneous - these values were indicated as very important by most of them. Subsequently the surveyed people indicated personal development and moral values. Detailed data are presented in the tables below, the analysis did not show drastic differences in the importance of the hierarchy of values of young people. Work and work-related values such as career development and professional success were considered important, but much less often as "very important". Interestingly, young people quite highly value moral values - 140 people from Poland (96 from Ukraine) as well as internal peace and harmony 113 from Ukraine and 136 from Poland found them "very important". This is slightly more than in the case of the value of "work", which was considered very important by 124 respondents from Poland and 78 from Ukraine. This observation somehow confirms the information that about the young generation that appears in the literature, and which indicates that work is not the most important in their value system. At this point, however, it is worth referring to the already presented concept of M. Ziółkowski, which suggests that work understood as existential value should be considered in a separate space of values than values such as family or morality (Swadzba, 2015). The lack of distinction between these values in the constructed questionnaire could therefore cause that compared to socio-cultural values, material - existential value was assessed as less important, because the selection mechanism, comparing values, took place. It should be noted, however, that the respondents did not have any restrictions as to the number of indications of "very important", so they did not have to choose and set any order of validity. Therefore, the lack of differentiation between values during the study should not significantly affect the given answers.

It can be concluded that work is not the most important value for the surveyed representatives of the young generation. However, it cannot be considered that it is not important to them at all. Altogether 281 people from Poland considered it important (157) or very important (124). A total of 209 people from Ukraine considered it important (131) or very important (78). However, it must be said with certainty that young people value more other aspects of life. When asked "what do you think is the most important in your life?" They most often pointed to: health, good of loved ones, happiness in marriage / relationship and being yourself (table 2).

Professional carrier as one of the most important aspects of life was indicated by few participants: 22 people from Poland, as many as 56 respondents from Ukraine (this may be conditioned by the socio-economic situation). Interestingly, even fewer people considered high material status as the most important. Social acknowledgment was indicated the least often. These answers again suggest that values such as health, family and love are highly valued by young people. Respondents also noted that it is important to "be yourself", which is reflected in the highly rated value defined as inner peace and harmony.

The above observations are confirmed by the literature on the subject and the research described there. In the report on "Generational changes in the labour market - XYZ", the presented results of research show that for 108 respondents born after 1990, the most important values in life are: family, health and independence. Then work, money, career and entertainment (Report Generational changes on the labour market - XYZ, access: http://szkolenia-biznesowe.prolearning.pl/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2017/09/Raport-XYZ.pdf (20.05.2019)).

Representatives of young generation are characterised in literature as people for whom personal life and work should form a whole, who strive for harmony in private and professional life (Żarczyńska-Dobiesz, Chomątowska, 2014; Bencsik et al., 2016). In fact, this thesis was also confirmed in the conducted research. First of all, it is worth emphasising the fact that the value defined as "inner peace and harmony" was highly rated by respondents (Table 1). What's more, to the question: "what model of life suits you best" - the most indications were given in the answer "attempt to reconcile work and family life" (Table 3).

The current model of the "life-long profession " is increasingly more and more effectively replaced by the "professional career " model, the overriding aspect of which is the continuity of individual development at every stage of life, the aim of which is to achieve success in professional work. Modern youth must have clearly defined perspectives for personal and professional development so as to be able to find themselves in the dynamically changing reality of the labour market.

The labour market is a specific sphere of reality. The 21st century in which we live is a time of dynamic change, development, scientific and technical progress covering all areas of the economy and social life. The fast pace of transformation means that many areas of life cannot keep up with them. In the light of dynamic changes, special education and preparation for entering the labour market is becoming particularly important in all areas of our lives. A well planned and implemented education process should prepare individuals for life in changing socio-economic conditions and circumstances. Modern man, in order to adapt to conditions, must constantly expand his knowledge, track current changes. However, one should not forget that all changes that take place give individuals a great opportunity to create their own environment, influence social progress and shape it.

The vast majority of young people also declare that when planning their professional careers they take into account their personal lives (Table 4). However, the following data shows that young people from Ukraine are more undecided about their career plans. This may be due to the socio-economic-political situation or lack of awareness as to making plans for educational and vocational development.

Answers to the above questions would therefore suggest that, in fact, representatives of the young generation strive to achieve life balance by reconciling the two spheres of their lives - work and personal life. Knowing what place in the system of values of the young generation is occupied by work (and that it is not the highest place) and that young people (and what may be important in this context - mostly women) declare their desire to reconcile work and family life, it is worth considering: how, in fact, respondents understand professional work. Interestingly - and in the course of these considerations - quite important - for the majority of respondents, professional work is mainly a way to earn money (Table 5). Over half of Polish respondents believe so. In contrast, Ukrainian youth see work as an opportunity for self-realisation.

Majority of respondents also declared that their motivation to take up a job is a desire to be financially independent (Table 6). On the one hand, these results confirm the current opinion in the literature on representatives of the young generation of the post-industrial era indicating that they are quite rational with a materialist approach to life. The instrumental and financial aspect seems to be an important element of defining the meaning of work for them.

Quite surprising, in the context of the characteristics of the young generation available in the literature, may be the fact that less than half of the respondents (129 on the Polish side) see the possibility of self-fulfilment at work (Table 5). Only 27 people on the Polish side indicated that they want to work because it is a way to realise themselves, while as many as 74 people on the Ukrainian side. Slightly more, although still few people from Poland (56) considered that this is a way to realise their passions/interests, and 36 young people from Ukraine (Table 6). After all, in the subject literature, this generation is described as approaching life in a materialistic way, but also as people striving to self-realisation, realising their interests, goals and needs - also in the context of work undertaken. Finally, also as people for whom work is a complement to personal life, and not just a way to earn. In this context, the results presented above are not fully consistent with the description in the literature. Labour market creates a way of building a professional future, as well as a chance to achieve professional success. It is getting harder and harder to find oneself in the world of work. Work is now becoming less physically harmful, but more mentally demanding, mainly through the decision-making independence of employees. Responsibility for completed tasks are at the same time motivating factors to develop and expand own competences, but on the other hand, not every employee is able to bear this responsibility, which may result in low efficiency at work. Management of own professional development in the era of labour market changes should consist of the following stages:

- Professional development planning - this stage may include defining educational and professional goals and plans (both in the short, medium and long term). It is worth for the individual to answer the following questions at this stage: what level of professional development would they like to achieve? When and in what ways is he or she going to do this? What resources does he/she currently have and which ones are still missing? What possibilities/requirements does the labour market give/puts towards? etc. The basic condition for achieving competitiveness on the labour market is continuous development and raising one's qualifications as well as the speed of response to changes in the environment. This stage may also include such activities as: selection of formal as well as informal learning paths; developing plans for expanding, supplementing and updating professional qualifications, taking into account the needs of the labour market and occupational mobility, as well as the predisposition and professional needs of the individual. In addition to analysing the needs of the labour market (and internal needs of the individual) helpful in planning may be analysing the offer of available forms of education at various qualification levels. It is also worth to take into account that on the contemporary labour market, specific personality traits, social and personal competences are highly valued. Those can be acquired and developed in various life-vocational-educational circumstances, and their achievement and development can also be successfully planned (e.g. engaging in teamwork to improve competence in cooperation with others; leading organisations of various ventures to improve their organisational skills, stimulate creativity, etc.) (Kukla, Zając, 2011).

- Organising and coordinating previously planned activities, undertaken for the purpose of professional development - this is the stage of practical implementation of educational and professional goals and plans. At this stage, consistency, commitment and determination in pursuing the goal and implementing the action plan is important. The speed of response to changes in the labour market and education is also important, as is vigilance in finding opportunities that an individual can use in the process of professional development.

- Leadership - in the classic sense, leadership is identified with managing others, motivating them to properly perform their tasks. In terms of managing one's own professional development, this term may refer to initiatives in the field of development/professional career management, strengthening of selfmotivation for further education, and striving for excellence in the activities it implements.

- Controlling - an extremely important stage of managing your own professional development is the assessment of the effectiveness of undertaken actions, an assessment of the degree of implementation of the goals and plans for professional development constructed in the planning process. This stage is very important because it gives the individual feedback on their activities. On this basis, the individual is aware of the extent to which he or she fulfils the plans, which may act as a motivator, or (if there are premises used to do so) may indicate the need to modify the plans or individual actions, e.g. as a result of dynamically progressing changes taking place the labour market (e.g. in the area of knowledge development in a given field, employers' needs, changes in the nature and manner of performing work,

which may involve new expectations in terms of competences), or emerging opportunities that an

individual can use (Zając, 2015).

There is a new model of work and employment. Tertrialisation, computerisation, globalisation, as well as changes in attitudes and expectations of consumers and employers.

The transition from education to employment is a difficult process. It is influenced by complex demographic and macroeconomic trends that are not friendly to modern youth. Although it varies from country to country, the latest reports from international organisations and expert bodies show not very optimistic employment and labour market forecasts for young people.

Discussion

The conducted research allows for the following conclusions:

1. The work turned out to be important for the majority of respondents, although definitely not the most important value in life (the conclusion is confirmed by numerous studies and descriptions functioning in the literature on the subject).

2. In addition to socio-cultural values such as family, love, health, the surveyed respondents also value such aspects as: personal development, moral values, inner peace and harmony, recognising these values as very important immediately after the mentioned: family, love and health. Therefore, such results confirm numerous theses appearing in the literature of the subject indicating that the generation of young people as brought up in a society of prosperity value intangible assets higher, because material values are taken for granted.

A complement to the analysis was determining what life model is preferred by representatives of the young generation and how work fits into this model. In particular, it was interesting: how do young people perceive work, what is its meaning for them and what form of work do they prefer? Description of own research together with a reference to secondary research, which allow an attempt to answer the above questions, is the subject of the second part of the article. Despite the fact that in the literature, it is often emphasized that representatives of the young generation definitely value higher goods more than finances (which has been confirmed by research), with professional work, the respondents mainly associate existential and material values. What's more, although the literature indicates that work for young people that are just entering the labour market is mainly a value resulting from the possibility of self-realisation, striving to implement larger ideas, being themselves, for most respondents work is mainly a way to earn money. Respondents declare that they want to work because they want to be financially independent (and not because work gives them the opportunity to realise themselves). They think about their own business due to the fact that they can then "earn more than others". Of course, it should be noted that a significant number of people also highlighted the motivation to work resulting from the desire to self-fulfilment (almost half). This answer, however, did not dominate, as would be expected after earlier analysis of the characteristics of the young generation in the literature on the subject. However, it should be noted, that the above conclusion results from the analysis of questions about the importance of work as a value in the lives of the respondents, and not values appreciated at work. In this context, representatives of the generation entering the labour market actually point more often to other values than finances, which is confirmed by studies described in the subject literature (Generational Changes on the Labour Market - XYZ, access: http://szkolenia-biznesowe.prolearning.pl/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2017/09/RaportXYZ.pdf (20.05.2019); Żarczyńska-Dobiesz, Chomątowska, 2017), as well as in-depth own research.

Therefore, it should be noted that own research partly confirmed the opinions about the young generation in the available literature on the subject. However, they also showed some differences and discrepancies. This may prove that, in fact, the young generation entering the labour market is a very diverse group of people. Such a picture may also be influenced by the fact that a selected 'subgroup' of that generation took part in the research, namely students, were the majority were women, who had no professional experience. In order to complete and clarify the conclusions of the study (so that they can be more generalised), it would be necessary to subject more men and people with other education and professional experience to the same study.

Conclusion

Summing up the above considerations, it should be emphasised that the situation of young people on the labour market is complex. Young people cannot just settle at educating themselves in one direction, but they have to combine many skills, be aware of continuous improvement, be ready to change jobs and the profession. If a university is to prepare an employee to work in conditions that meet the assumptions and requirements of the European Union economy, then to meet the challenges of the market, it should be remembered that quality standards are not only legal regulation, but also a customer requirement. This is a huge task for education, including vocational and lifelong learning. Work and family life are now one of the most important values in an individual's life. It conditions their functioning in the realities of the modern world and thus determines the course and direction of development.

Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

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