StanceTwo problems, each with its own matched solution: retraining + anti-age-discrimination for older job seekers; graduate schemes for young people.
Body 1
- Problem A: older job seekers are passed over
- employers assume younger staff are cheaper and better with technology
- long-term unemployment while they still need an income
- a fifty-year-old accountant without the digital skills employers now expect
Body 2
- Problem B: graduates lose first jobs to experienced applicants
- juniors with no work history are harder to select
- no experience → stuck in low-paid work that does not match their degree
- Solutions matched: A → retraining + rules against age discrimination; B → internships and graduate schemes reserved for new starters
Words it needs
- job seekers
- age discrimination
- long-term unemployment
- entry-level positions
- work experience
- retraining programmes
- graduate schemes
- a fairer job market
Model essay · 260 words
Nowadays, many people, including older and more experienced workers, find themselves competing with young people for the same jobs. This situation creates problems for both groups, but they could be reduced by retraining older workers and creating more entry-level routes for young people.
One serious problem is that older job seekers are often passed over in favour of younger candidates. Employers may assume that young people are cheaper and more comfortable with new technology. As a result, many older people remain unemployed for a long time, even though they still need an income. For example, a fifty-year-old accountant who loses their job may struggle to find a new position if employers now expect digital skills that they were never trained in.
Another problem is that young graduates face stronger competition for their first job. When experienced applicants also apply for junior positions, young people with no work history find it harder to be selected. This means that they cannot gain the experience that employers ask for, and some become trapped in low-paid work that does not match their qualifications.
To tackle the first problem, governments and companies could offer retraining programmes that update older workers' skills, especially in technology, and enforce rules against age discrimination in recruitment. To tackle the second, companies could create more internships and graduate schemes reserved for people who are starting their careers.
In conclusion, this competition leaves older job seekers unemployed and young graduates without a first opportunity. Matching solutions, such as retraining and graduate schemes, could make the job market fairer for both groups.
Problems branch: each solution points back to the problem it answers — A to the first, B to the second.