I want to be an artist but my dad wants me to be a doctor.
“I want to be a business woman but my mum wants me to be a lawyer ”.
These are some of the common comments from young people when asked what they are passionate about. Most stories we hear are parents deterring their children from a particular career path.
In this blog, we’re going to demystify the myth surrounding certain career choices and the role of parents in entrepreneurship, how they can assist to change their mindset and that of their children.
Let’s put the disclaimer out there, our parents sometimes make choices they see best for us. These are mostly due to security, sustainability, less risks and among others. Parents would want their kids to have a secure future in terms of employment. I mean who would want a 30 year old child still struggling to get a good source of income. So it’s much easier to define a clear path at a younger age so as to avoid the former.
The issue now stems from different passions and dreams. Young people will gear into entrepreneurship because the job security promised became unachievable. Major cause of this is the high unemployment rate in Ghana.
Parents are our first Entrepreneurs.
As parents are shifting their kids to pick more white-collar jobs, what we notice is, our parents themselves are more involved in entrepreneurship. They own businesses, employ themselves, they are their own accountants and everything but their kids venture into something totally different. This shows us that, the role of parents in entrepreneurship cannot be overlooked. So why are the youth not inspired to tread the same path? Are they not attractive enough? Is it not lucrative? Mind you, it’s the same business that provides for everyone at home also. Why then do we not make it a habit to inculcate the entrepreneurial culture in the youth at an early age.
There’s a verse that goes, train a child in the way that he should go, and when he grows he will depart from it. This verse we can proudly say applies in every aspect or stage of a young child’s life.
What is the way forward?
We at InspiNest would love parents to come on board on this mindset change journey. We can do so much in their schools and through our training activities but what happens in their respective homes? What role does the parent play in ensuring that their kids, apart from securing a good career path, can also pursue what they’re passionate about with fewer restrictions. It’s amazing to see professionals have a “side hustle” as we call it attached to what they have studied.
We would really love our parents to be involved in the mindset change journey and it begins with one home at a time.
Gloria Bribi
Communications Officer
Inspinest Foundation
