By Tony Huppert, CEO, Team Oil Inc.
I’ve written many articles on our youth needing to acquire work ethics. I believe work ethics have to be taught at a young age.
We start kids in preschool to get the basics taught before they enter kindergarten. Research by educators have statistics showing it is important to start teaching at a young age. If this is so important and statistics prove this, then why are our politicians and educational system doing everything possible to discourage our youth from getting jobs?
Laws are passed to either make it impossible to hire anyone under 18, because of the regulations, or they have the minimum wage so high that job training by the employer is financially unwise. Our youth are being joggled around like they are a science project. We have coaches reliving their lives through their students, insisting sports before jobs. Politicians and educators forget that educating our youth with work ethics is ‘EDUCATION’. Some politicians want to have their cake and eat it to. They want to create jobs, get our youth working, raise the minimum wage, and get your vote. Well, I want Peace on Earth and Good will to men/women. So, how’s that working out?
When I was young, educators would push Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic.
Work Ethics was never something that was pushed because working to put food on the table was just a given by the entire family. I do not want to go back to those days, but unless the educational system and parents realize ‘Work Ethics’ trumps some after school activities, we will return to those days. It’s a balancing act. Lately the system is out of ‘Balance.’
Tony Huppert is a Wisconsin businessman of 40 years and CEO of Team Oil Inc., the family-owned and operated Team Oil Travel Center, and Subway in Spring Valley, Wis.