Bridging the education and jobs gap

The COAG Reform Council's latest reports on education and skills confirm what the Brotherhood of St Laurence already knows – that disadvantaged young people are doing it tough.

The reports' statistics show that while more than a quarter of 17 to 24-year-olds – a national average of 27 per cent – are not working or studying full time, it is a far bleaker picture for those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The Brotherhood of St Laurence's executive director, Tony Nicholson, said he shared the Council’s concerns that more needs to be done to help disadvantaged young Australians get a job or further training after school so they are not left behind in the modern economy. "It is scandalous that, as the report identifies, more than 40 per cent of young people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds were not fully engaged in work or study after leaving school."

"Persistent gaps between socio-economic groups start from the earliest years in our education system and carry right through to tertiary levels."

"Much more needs to be done to bridge the education and skills gap. There is a real opportunity to address some of these pressing issues with the new schools' funding flowing through."

Mr Nicholson warned this funding must be targeted to engage the most disadvantaged children, particularly at year eight and nine, and not just be swallowed up into the schools’ global budgets. The Brotherhood of St Laurence runs education and training programs in the community to assist these growing numbers of disengaged or unemployed young people to successfully move into work. This alternative option to traditional schools must also be well funded to address the needs of the most disadvantaged students.

The Brotherhood's youth spokesperson, Sally James, said that the young people she works with in outer Melbourne often miss out on the help, support and networking advantages that those from higher socio-economic backgrounds receive. "Investing in well-targeted support to help young people move from unemployment to work makes good economic sense," she said.

"For early school leavers, I have seen that dropping out can lead to the start of a lifetime of joblessness, disadvantage and social isolation. It's really a case of investing now in education and training, or pay later. We want to see all young people reach their goals and make a contribution to society."

Ms James said there is clear evidence that demonstrates what works for getting people ready for employment: this includes learning work skills, being offered work experience or individual coaching.

"The longer that young people are out of work, the harder it is for them to find a job," she said.