Over the last ten years of working with disadvantaged young people there has been an abundance of slang and urban street wording thrown into the mix from the audiences I’ve engaged and worked with, some colourful, some creative. None more astounding than ‘sik’. As a child born into the 70’s and growing up with the 80’s our generation can’t avoid it has contributed to this slang language timeline evolution with such words as ‘ace’ and the equally bad ‘bad’.
Like two sides of a coin, each word is of course the complete literal opposite of its meaning, other than ace of course, which is just stand alone… ace (ace what pilot? in the hole?, shot?). So its all so confusing as an older bod.
In the last three months we’ve undertaken, what seems, a global push to engage and employ a significant number of young people onto a youth apprenticeship program.
Todays figures of unemployment is staggering and its quite easy for my ‘ace’ and cynical generation to explain to kids that we didn’t have your problem when we were growing up of not being able to get a ‘real’ job. They seemed aplenty at the time and that’s without the internet, social media and a global economy to take advantage of. Well… lets not get carried away talking about that mess.
So what do you do with tonnes of young people? Well thats the magic. You treat them like responsable adults and use good old 1980’s and good parenting rules to teach them how to behave in a working environment. Something thats lacking from our educational establishments and in modern parenting. I really don’t care about Government reports stating we should do this or that. There is a real problem supporting young people and its now apparently the private sectors role to sort out the mess. Bring it on.
I work, not on my own, there are many levels of assessors, mentors, team leaders and Directors, to engage their minds, to teach them diversity of thinking. To stretch their abilities, creativity, talents and think laterally. At first to break the entrapment of their systematic autopilot conscious understanding of learning and lead them to an amazing place called ‘focus’.
We test their abilities, challenge them, use their interests to help us become more effectual and then focus them as productive and passionate people.
Half the time its a case of asking them to, quite literally, pull their pants up. Most have not been educated in the wonderful invention called a belt, ok half the time might be a bit of an exaggeration. Its all the time… no of course not. Yes. :/
There’s thousands of people who’ve either lost their jobs or try as hard as they can to fill some respectable shoes, however the system, and ffs I don’t intend to get (too) political in this blog, are stuck in a trap. Can’t get a job because my benefits will be cut, cant get a job because my parents benefits will be cut, can’t get a job because my hamster will lose its… Its Trainspotting all over again…
I’m headed up a new apprentice scheme aiming to lead young people into, hopefully, a role for them in my company, lead them onto further education, start a new business or possibly something we have yet not thought about.
However, shaping a company, developing products and doing all the jazz that comes with running the show is hard enough. To then become what seems to be an extended family member, entrusted to employ and look after the ambitions of a current generation seems somewhat a daunting and scary task. Its challenging my spirit, my motivation, my courage and my choice to get out of bed. It could eventually cause me to say… “Can’t come in today guys. Its effecting my mental benefits”.
Of course this is all rubbish. I bloody love what I do. I love the challenge. Ten years ago I opened a small gaming centre in the small town of Walsall. It was a crazy thing to do, but I followed my gut. I loved computer games so much and the social aspects of something that was indeed frowned on by many a peer generation that I rebelled and created a gaming centre to share my passion for something so cool and funky, which of course, financially it was a failure, mainly because what I was introduced to was young people, more so a lost generations from mixed backgrounds and cultures all flocking to our doors eager to be a part. They shared in something inherently important as air, language, culture and passion. They shared a passion. Games. My passion. I could relate.
I didn’t care much for school. I preferred being lost in worlds created, quite literally by a generation above me (the 16 year old Oliver Twins and Codemasters products) who challenged me to move strange and colourful pixels around challenges, back when gameplay was king and eye candy graphics was a Steve Jobs pipe dream. Games evolved. So did we as a cross generation of tree house building, BMX riding, gamers began to rise.
So when a small gaming centre populated by young people with no expendable money my dire need to spred the games caused me to do the anti business choice. I didn’t charge as much as I should have. I did to get by, to keep the ship afloat, but it took hardcore figure bashing grey stuff to keep it going, that and loans up to my pixels.
The games continued… Allnighters, thats games played thoughout the night for the non game educated. Sometimes a few nights in a row. This was challenge and social development on a whole other level, we all had become bosses. These kids that society frowned upon for their passions were still victimized for their hobby. It was obvious to me that the generation of outcasts, game playing freaks used humour and their own intelligence to get through their shared ‘normal’ societal issues. The ability to have a joke, but equally care about each other as good friends showed strong character development.
We had young people from all walks of life join our groups. From different countries even, who could find comfort in their skin, find an ego and personality through their use and understanding of technologies and their eagerness to share. Share share share. Everything from how to fix a computer, to my cars broken down. Family crisises to births and deaths. Games held it all together. Which drew the crowd and kept everyone in their bubble of positivity, I simply was the orchestrator of the environment and maintaining the continuity of the game.
To keep the ship afloat, it needed more. We needed a whole other kettle of fish to help us. The eureka moment hit me. Games are having a positive effect on young peoples lives. So bloody obvious. Well to me. After that the real challenges came.
Research ensued. Networking. Talking. Presenting. Showing. Talking. Pointing. Where to start? Why to start? Why games? Games are bad.. hmm k. O_o
Twelve months later. We had a not for profit company in place, Government funding and results. The same young people who’d been a part of the blood sweat and tears had been the original driving force to develop the use of games in a learning framework, called 19.
Why 19? Apart from the Paul Hardcastle track, influenced at the time by the playing of a particular war game, but more significantly at the final moment of being funded I was informed (meh) that “we know you can engage young people. We want to limit the impact, so only engage young people over 19”. Ok cheers for that, when we have loads of unoccupied youth centres, young people on the streets - disengaged, here is a model for engaging these kids with a proven model for engaging those who are most at risk!
Thanks for the title.
Ten years later and the majority of those who we engaged with still are strong friends and some have moved on with us to engage, train and develop other young people through more exciting and technology rich programs using games at the heart. Its mucho ace. :D
From a small nut. Grows the mighty Oak… Bad.
