Youth employment and COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has wrought sudden and severe disruption to the labour market. As with the Global Financial Crisis, young people are especially vulnerable. Together, we can amplify employment outcomes for young people and business in communities.

Research evidence from the National Youth Employment Body and the Transition to Work National Community of Practice, including our latest research report, shows what can be achieved when you bring together business, education and training providers, government, community and of course young people themselves. The National Youth Employment Body is enabled by the Brotherhood of St Laurence and funded by the federal Department of Education, Skills and Employment.

We need to expand the current standalone youth employment service offer, Transition to Work (TtW), and invest in Transition to Work PLUS. This should include:

• all young people who are unemployed to be referred to TtW and not to Jobactive (the adult employment service)
• an investment in community-led solutions which address local youth unemployment
• funding to support business-led Community Investment Committees that marshal government and community resources which directly link supply and demand so as to improve employment and benefit whole communities.

Young people are our future. Let’s use the evidence of what works to build local and national solutions that address youth unemployment in this crisis and into the future.