When New Zealand opens for business again, young Kiwis will help pave the way
OPINION: Businesspeople reading this column will be crucially aware that under-25s are one of the most vital and lucrative demographics of virtually any market. High school and university students are also often at the heart of movements and protests to bring about change. In Hong Kong, students played central roles in the Umbrella Revolution of 2014, and again in the 2019-20 protests. Likewise, in India, students made up a sizeable component of the crowds protesting against the Modi governments new citizenship law late last year. And, of course, last years climate strikes saw millions of young people around the world leave their classrooms to urge adults to take responsibility for climate change. READ MORE: * Coronavirus: Increased understanding of Asia a silver lining of pandemic * Simon Draper: globalisation makes us more prosperous * Coronavirus: The untold story of New Zealanders losing overseas friends, colleagues to Covid-19 Students in New Zealand were involved in that action and connected to others around the world in ways that werent possible for previous generations. Social media has bridged geographic divides, amplified voices and made young people harder to ignore. Globally, young people are at the forefront of vocalising concerns about gender, economic, racial and other forms of discrimination and their voices are having a very real impact on these issues. As New Zealand approaches our general election , and amid potentially heated discussions about the best way forward in our economic recovery, its important to keep young people central to the discussions about the countrys future. New Zealands ability to get back on its economic feet will take time; and will be impacted by the way this pandemic plays out globally too. It will take forethought and long-term planning, which will need young peoples input if it is to be effective. Youth are often the drivers of social, cultural and economic change. Its been quite something watching how adaptable and resilient young people have been throughout this pandemic. Whether it was switching from in-class learning to on-screen learning , or from an exciting new job to working at home, they appear to have just got on with it. That ability to switch modes and deal with the unexpected is exactly what the world is going to need in an uncertain future. The Asia New Zealand Foundation has seen that in action with our own Leadership Network, which is full of young New Zealanders from a range of backgrounds who are driven by a desire to make a difference. From the earliest stages of New Zealands lockdown, we saw many of them put aside their own professional and personal disappointments, and spring into action to help others. But weve also heard reports that young New Zealanders have borne the early brunt of coronavirus-related redundancies. Others may face a hard road finding jobs as they complete their studies. And to make matters worse, the traditional Kiwi OE isnt even an option right now. So amid all the challenges they face, its especially important not to overlook the unique strengths of our young people particularly in the workforce. Young New Zealanders are more culturally connected to other parts of the world than previous generations. The 2018 Census told us more than a quarter of all New Zealanders were born overseas and that has had an impact on the ethnic diversity of our young people compared to previous generations. Young New Zealanders are more likely to have family in other countries, to identify with more than one ethnic group and to have friends hailing from different ethnic backgrounds. Those who stand with their feet in two or more cultures have skills that are extremely useful for the working world. They pass these benefits onto their peers, who benefit from exposure to different cultures. I believe this is a skill businesses and wider New Zealand are yet to fully recognise the value of. It is the stuff that our future workforce is going to need. When the worlds ready to do business with New Zealand again, were going to need young, adaptable, connected professionals with a lot of those soft skills needed to rebuild our global relationships. The Asia New Zealand Foundations Perceptions of Asia and Asian Peoples research highlights the wide range of ways that young people learn about Asia including through social media, pop culture, games and their peers. All of these are ways they can retain their connectedness and interest in the outside world, even as they are unable to travel there. These cultural influences have helped grow their knowledge and confidence about Asia significantly over the past five years. While were all still essentially locked in here in New Zealand, we need to make particular investment in young people to ensure were all set for the future. For businesspeople, this means including them in conversations, making space for them around the table, and asking them for opinions -- and I dont just mean questions about how to make the most of Zoom. Our opportunities to experience Asia up close and personal will be limited for most for some time, but theres plenty we can do to build up New Zealands capacity to navigate the region. Young people are the perfect place to start. Simon Draper is the Executive Director of the Asia New Zealand Foundation.