A snapshot of our working youth: a YouthLink survey

The survey analysis provides insights into the education, work and financial situations, and perspectives on Auroville and the community’s youth. This phase in the respondents’ lives appears quite fluid. In the seven month period between the first and second part of this survey, 35% of respondents shifted between academic studies, looking for work, working, or place of work. The group was also highly diverse in terms of lived experience, goals and perspectives.

Summary overview

88% of respondents had completed high school and 35% had attained a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Seven respondents were enrolled in higher studies at the time of the survey. The analysis noted that education levels among respondents was “much above average” and further noted the likelihood that some respondents, given their age, would seek a higher degree in the future.

Respondents had different experiences and perspectives about their education which seemed to correlate to the differences in the offerings and approaches of the different Auroville high schools. Youth who had attended Future School remarked that they felt well-prepared for further studies; those who attended Last School remarked that the school had a holistic approach and expressed their satisfaction with this education. Despite some respondents feeling inadequately prepared for the next phase of their lives, most cited positive impacts, such as skills for how to learn and grow, how to interact with people, how to be proactive and how to develop self discipline. Areas for further training or coaching interest include administrative skills, financial management, interpersonal communication, practical skills, crafts and arts.

Of the 51 respondents, 36 were working and 8 were looking for work. Of those with work, 28 worked in Auroville; 6 of these had established a commercial unit within Auroville. Respondents reported a wide range of weekly working hours, but a majority were working 30-40 hours per week. 31% of respondents were executives and worked longer hours. A significant number of respondents were also engaged in caretaking responsibilities and unpaid volunteer work, in addition to their primary employment.

Most youth working in Auroville reported earning the equivalent of a monthly ‘maintenance’. Those who worked outside Auroville reported earning at least 50% more per month. There was no obvious correlation between earnings and gender, nationality or type of workplace. Nearly half of respondents indicated their income fell short of their regular expenses.

Most respondents expressed positive sentiments about Auroville, particularly with reference to meaningful work and opportunities for learning and growth. However, a significant portion of respondents considered their low earning potential when compared with outside opportunities a major concern and a possible reason to leave Auroville in the future. The majority reported that the works of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo had an influence on their lives. How they felt and expressed this impact was highly diverse and individualised.

What follows are specific highlights from the detailed analysis.

School influence on working

About 16% of the respondents were currently looking for work, almost equally divided between Future and Last School alumni. Of the 7 respondents who were currently studying, 6 graduated from Future School and 1 from NESS.

It was notable that all working respondents who graduated from NESS were working in an Auroville service unit. The 4 respondents involved in performance and arts work were all Last School alumni.

How respondents’ education prepared them for their current situation

Respondents were asked an open question, which resulted in a diverse set of answers. 18% (spread over alumni from all schools) reported that their education did not prepare them well for their current situation. 20% highlighted that high school provided a foundation for further studies. The remaining 34 each mentioned several positive outcomes covering a range of specific knowledge and skills.

What else respondents would have liked to learn in school

8 respondents explicitly stated they had learned everything they wanted to in school. 4 respondents admitted that in hindsight they could have learned more from what was offered.

40 respondents named a total of more than 60 different subjects that they would have liked to learn at school.

❖       (12 respondents, 30%) Practical skills: from basic skills of home maintenance, building and repair, like plumbing, electrical, mechanical work, or using carpentry tools, to crafts and arts.

❖       (11, 28%) Many wishes centered around some kind of life coaching: how to find out what one is good at / likes to do; how to deal with adverse situations or feeling lost; how to learn from failure; social skills about communal living, gender norms, safety, consent and awareness; sexual education; how to find a balance between study/work and fun; self growth, confidence and how to live a more conscious life.

❖       (10, 25%) Managing finances: understanding taxes / salaries; how to file taxes; how to save and invest; how to open a bank account; how to get health insurance; understanding economics and how money works; basic accounting.

❖       (9, 23%) Administrative skills: writing formal emails and documents; basic or more advanced computer skills; software/online tools for creating documents, spreadsheets, posters and presentations.

❖       (8, 20%) Some respondents asked explicitly to learn more about Auroville: the history, governance, and how different aspects work; more about Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.

❖       (7, 18%) Interpersonal communication skills: range of responses from dealing with people in different situations to essay writing and presentations to wider audiences.

❖       (5, 13%) Practical job search / job creation skills: how to identify job openings; how to apply for a job, including writing a CV and an application letter; entrepreneurship basics.

The answer patterns varied depending on the high school the respondents had attended. Future School students graduate with internationally recognised certification. These alumni felt they were well prepared for further studies and had learned self discipline and time management. Some would have liked to learn more practical skills, how to deal with life situations, how to find or create a job, and more about Sri Aurobindo and Auroville.

Last School aims to focus on integral education and does not offer official certification. More than half the Last School alumni said that they had learned everything they wanted at school and that they had learned determination, persistence, and how to deal with many situations in life; others mentioned that their schooling had given them a love for learning and self development. Unlike respondents from other schools, Last School alumni did not mention a lack of knowledge about Sri Aurobindo or Auroville; or a lack of practical or job search skills.

Work Situation in 2023

The in-depth interviews helped shed light on various aspects of youth employment, including the types of work, working hours, job-finding methods, team roles, training opportunities, and the factors that shape work-related preferences. The data gathered offered insights into the employment landscape within Auroville and how it compares to opportunities outside the community.

Employment Status

Among the 36 respondents (71%) who were actively employed, 42% were working in service units within Auroville, 36% in commercial units within Auroville, and 22% in commercial companies outside Auroville. Notably, 6 of the 13 working in Auroville’s commercial units had established the unit where they worked.

In Part 1 of this survey, the distribution was similar for the 116 respondents. In both study samples, employed respondents had worked at their current workplace for 2 years on average. Most respondents had worked in several places.

Areas of work

Many were working in the area of hospitality / eatery / food (28%), followed by education (19%) / health / physical education (14%). Some were working in art / performance (11%), forestry / horticulture (11%) and architecture / construction (6%). Categorisation was not always easy as a number of youth were working in more than one place.

How they found their job

Nearly half of the respondents (45%) had found employment through friend or family connections. 18% were self-employed or created a new Auroville unit. Internships, volunteering, and cold applications were also commonly cited. Only 2 respondents had found employment through Auroville HR Hub or Auroville web announcements.

Hours of work

Respondents worked from 10 to 60 hours per week, with most working between 30 and 40 hours, no matter where they were employed. On average, respondents in commercial companies outside Auroville were working 36.8 hours per week; those in commercial Auroville units were working 44 hours per week; the self-employed were working 38 hours per week; and those in Auroville service units were working 35.5 hours per week.

33% of respondents said they wished to reduce their work hours, 44% were content with their current hours, and 17% aimed to increase their work hours. Those who wanted to work more were driven by a passion for their work, while those who sought reduced hours cited a desire for better work-life balance, time for family, education, and other activities.

For work in Auroville, female respondents were working 32% fewer hours than male respondents; Indian respondents were working 40% more hours than non-Indian; Executives were working 67% more work hours than non-executives; respondents in service units were working 7% fewer hours than those in commercial units.

The survey also asked about unpaid work. 13 (36%) of the respondents had caretaking work for parents, children or relatives, ranging from a few hours to 50 hours a week, with an average of 15 hours. Additionally, 15 respondents (42%) engaged in unpaid volunteer work ranging from 1 to 20 hours per week, averaging 8.5 hours per week.

Workplace training

The majority (65%) reported that they received on-the-job training, with 38% exclusively relying on this form of education. Six respondents (18%) received an introductory course to their current work, while 8 others (24%) attended internal or external workshops or courses.

The financial situation of Auroville youth

Many respondents earn about INR 20,000 per month. Nearly as many report that they earn INR 30,000 or more.

Big differences result also from the fact that some respondents were working outside Auroville (in India or abroad) and some worked only part time.

Respondents who worked outside of Auroville earned 45% more on average. But in the analysis, it is noted that the real average is much higher since the survey scale was inadequate to accurately reflect the financial situation of youth working in other countries.

Income insufficiencies

19 participants (53%) reported that their current income meets their daily needs. 17 respondents (47%) indicated that their income falls short of covering their expenses and further indicated that they sought support from a partner, friends or family; engaged in work outside of Auroville (seasonal, abroad, online, freelance); relied on savings; adjusted their lifestyles; and/or utilised credit lines to bridge that gap. Gender and nationality did not seem to correlate with income satisfaction.

Of the 10 youth working outside Auroville, only 1 said that his income is not sufficient for daily living needs.

The largest unfulfilled wishes concerned money for travelling (44%) and improving their housing situation (38%). Many respondents expressed challenges meeting fundamental needs such as visiting family (26%) and raising a family (9%). Some said they could not afford to pay for higher education (9%) or to invest in their own business (12%).

Is low payment a reason to leave Auroville?

Condensed and adapted from Auroville Youth Work Survey 2023 - Part 2 by YouthLink

The full report is available at https://www.youthlink.org.in/post/auroville-youth-work-survey-2023-part-2.