EDWARD DE BONO'S MESSAGE
13th July 1997

"..there is a need to design a way forward.."

From the airport lounge in Sydney en route to Singapore.

Youth unemployment is a big problem in Australia. Overall national employment figures do not give a true account of patchiness across age and geographical regions. In some areas youth unemployment may be as high as 30 per cent. Bigger companies who wish to downsize are often reluctant to dismiss older workers so they downsize by attrition. They let older workers retire in the natural course of events. At the same time they do not take on younger workers.

The huge growth in part-time jobs available to women means that mothers can now enter the work-force. This increases the number of people able to work.

There is no shortage of analysis and of reasons why there is high unemployment in many countries. Sometimes analysis suggests the answer - for example the softening of labour market rigidities.

At other times analysis does not provide the answer and there is the need to design a way forward with new ideas. That is why this month's task involves the design of a new profession. This profession would be to work what an architect is to space. (The task is only open to members of the Edward de Bono Creative Team)

If you are ever challenged to think creatively and actually enjoy creative thinking (most people do not) then you should apply your creative thinking to the tasks set periodically on this site.

Edward de Bono
12th July 1997
Sydney, Australia