Alas, the cup didn’t come home. However, it's wasn't all doom and gloom as 4th placed England at the just concluded FIFA World Cup in Russia, were not initially expected to perform wonders. However, in the course of the tournament, the belief grew, and hopes were raised. Gareth Southgate’s joint second youngest team in the tournament (only behind Nigeria) had an average age of 25.6 years, and they were the only team to field only homegrown players.
The team showed potential, fight and most of all ambition. England’s young team has become a model for other teams to emulate in sport. Albeit, they were not crowned world champions, but they came close and if things had turned out a little differently, then maybe they may have gone all the way.
This goes a long way to demonstrate the will and fight that young people possess and the vigour they can bring to any endeavour. If adequately prepared and entrusted with responsibility, young people can demonstrate tact and discipline in fulfilling their tasks, and not just in football, but in any industry.
In the Engineering sector in the UK, there seems to be a grossly uneven market, where the large firms with huge appeal and marketing budget tend to draw the attention of the bulk of young school leavers, which creates the problem of too many people chasing too little jobs. In the end, a lot of applicants are left disappointed, and the reverse is the case in smaller companies as there are not enough applicants to even fill up most roles.
Again, there is the problem of young graduates needing to amass a certain level of experience and know how to stand a chance in the industry. While young people are encouraged to take on as many volunteer and internship roles as possible, most of them still find themselves falling short of the required company experience.
Perhaps, the recruitment system Gareth Southgate adopted for his world cup team should be adapted to other professions, especially engineering where there is beginning to become a lack of interest of young people in the industry. Most young people are not aware of the vast opportunities in Engineering, and young graduates are often left stranded due to a lack of either experience or opportunities.
According to the Institution of Engineering and Technology, around 40% of engineering recruiters believe that most graduates lack any real practical experience and thus they may be less likely to fit into any position straight away. While experience is crucial to success in a field like engineering, recruiters are still urged to consider young graduates who are fresh out of school.
This current 2018 World Cup team, which is currently England’s most successful World Cup squad since 1990, was mainly made up of young players. Similarly, with the right approach, management, training and encouragement, young and enthusiastic engineers can also do great things in the Engineering industry. But first, recruiters, must adopt Gareth Southgate’s method, and give them a chance to shine.
