Summary
The transition from school to employment or further study is a critical time of independence in young people’s lives, shaping their future economic security and wellbeing. These transitions are influenced by economic conditions, labour market shifts, access to quality training and education programs, personal sense of agency and identity, and strength of support from family and other networks.
Young people experiencing disadvantage, including those in rural and regional areas, from low-income backgrounds, and/or marginalised communities, often face additional and compounding barriers during these transitions. These barriers can lead to interrupted education and employment pathways, resulting in entrenched disadvantage and long-term negative impacts for young people, communities, and the economy.
Career management skills are essential for young people to navigate complex transitions and make informed decisions about employment pathways. When young people are given agency in their education and employment pathways and receive targeted support to reach their goals, completion rates increase.
YACVic welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Inquiry into Student Pathways to In-Demand Industries. Our submission makes 18 recommendations to support improved student pathways into in-demand industries, in sectors where there is high employment growth and significant workforce needs.
We highlight the critical role youth workers and youth programs play in supporting young people holistically to build successful education and employment pathways – a role that is distinct from career counsellors, teachers, and other professionals.
Further, we make recommendations to strengthen the youth work profession to encourage student uptake in further study and training, recognising youth work and the broader community sector as a critical industry in-demand.
We encourage the Committee to recognise the full range of professional and community actors who support young people—particularly youth workers and community sector workers who work with young people, who play a distinct and often under-recognised role in educational and vocational engagement, including outside of traditional school settings. We continue to advocate for young people to have their rights upheld and voices heard in decisions which impact their lives, including their right to education and employment.
We want to thank the organisations who contributed case studies to this submission and all those who informed YACVic’s 2022 Youth Sector Survey and 2024 Listening Tour.