Employers’ demand for experience leaves younger PMETs in a bind

I refer to The Big Read article “Despite help, displaced PMETs find the ‘perfect cocktail’ to a new career elusive” (July 16).

It stated that many professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) aged 40 and above have difficulty getting a job and that some, even after retraining, take time to adjust to the new work environment.

However, if we take a look at PMETs who are aged below 30, then it is ironic that employers also make a fuss when recruiting them and claim that they do not possess enough experience.

My child submitted close to 1,000 applications after obtaining her Master’s degree and was finally offered an entry-level position after a year. She moved to a regional role in another company a year later.

Unfortunately, she was displaced when her company obtained approval for its 24th work-visa holder, out of a staff of 30. Since last year, she has been hunting for a job without much success as the economy continues to slide.

How do young PMETs gain experience when recruiting companies are unwilling to give them the job opportunity?

Or do they have to undergo another phase of retraining, the way the PMETs in their 40s now have to do?