Is Gen Y too lazy to work? | Coffs Coast Jobs | Career News for Coffs Coast, Australia

Gemima Harvey | 10th February 2010

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ONE of the region’s biggest employers disagrees with claims made to an employment agency that Gen Y ‘lacks work ethic’.

Twenty-somethings are developing a poor reputation after a recruitment agency said employers did not want to hire anyone at that age bracket because they are lacking focus and drive.

Woolworths media relations manager Benedict Brook, however, challenges that.

He said 45 per cent of the supermarket’s staff was under 25 years old, and ‘working at a supermarket is hard work and involves a lot of customer service and our Gen Y employees are rising to this challenge’.

In Coffs Harbour, there are about 1400, 20- to 34-year-olds on Centrelink New Start Allowance.

The allowance is offered to job seekers who are not involved with study or apprenticeships, compared to about 1800 35- to 54-year-olds.

The average age of job seekers is 37.

A straw pool of locals yesterday backed up Mr Brooks’ view that perhaps the “lazy” label was an unfair one.

“I have met some fantastic people in their 20s,” Judy Sheehan from Coffs said.

And John Donaldson, also of Coffs, said young people act as they always have.

“People in their 20s today are no different to how they were 100 years ago and they are no different to me at their age,” he said.

“I have a lot of faith in the younger generation. The ones that want to be trained can be trained and an element of all generations will want no part.”

Gen Y resident Carly Slockee didn’t see an issue with her contemporaries or the reputation they have.

“I’ve never had a problem getting a job or keeping it and I’ve had three jobs before, as well as doing university,” she said.

Coral Huggins felt there was some unfair labelling of different groups without much substance.

“I’ve always had two or three jobs and I think it is unfair that we [Gen Y] all get labelled by the actions of a minority which wreck it for the rest of us,” she said.

And Del Hardy agreed.

“It depends on the person, some people are very motivated and if they are naturally motivated they will go for it. It is the same with every generation – there will be some with more drive than others,” she said.

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