FLIPSIDE 1.4

In the shadow of a national report that put Detroit on the very bottom of the list that calculated the percentage of our inner-city youths who finish high school with a diploma, there is yet another matter at hand that must be corrected. While I believe parental involvement will increase the student’s chances of getting through high school and earning a diploma, the involvement should not end there.

As I said once before, a diploma gets you a little advantage in the workforce, but what else does a high school graduate have to do in order to find a slot in an economy that is always looking for ways to cut back?

One thing I notice about young men in our city who have earned degrees from high school is that after completing that goal, they seem to be unprepared for the next level. That next level may be college or that next level may be entering the workforce. Whichever the case, young inner-city men seem to lack the direction or preparation necessary for making that transition.

A friend and I were standing outside my house a few days ago when we were approached by a young man who was dressed in slacks, a dress shirt and tie. On his way to some local businesses in the area, he stopped to ask us if we knew of anyone who was hiring. In response I told him there are a few places that are hiring, but they were either accepting applications online or only accepting resumes in person. He said he did not have access to a computer, nor did he have a resume. Surprised by his lack of preparation, I offered him the phone number of a friend who is a teacher who could help him build a resume as well as assist him with filling out online applications. He thanked me and went on about his way.

It is then when I thought that perhaps someone did teach him the value of an education and how important it is to at least finish high school, but nobody bothered to tell him what to do after that. That is an issue with our inner-city youth, especially the males. The lack of preparation is not the only thing that has to be addressed though. The lack of self-confidence is an issue as well.

The two major indicators of this lack of self-confidence are poor eye contact and soft handshakes. When interviewing or just conversing with potential employers, these two things are vital. They are also things that need to be discussed by parents. Maintain good eye contact throughout the conversation and learn to give firm handshakes.

I know it was hard enough getting Junior through high school, but you want to make sure he knows what to do once he leaves the classroom and enters the boardroom. For more information and resources take a look at this website: www.detroitparentnetwork.org or contact Shane Bernardo at sbernardo@detroitparentnetwork.org. Let’s get our youth out of high school with the knowledge and confidence to make it into the future. Catch ya’ on the FLIPSIDE.