260 likes | 371 Views
Learning & Working Today: What young people themselves and the research are telling us. DUSSELDORP SKILLS FORUM July 2007 DSF.ORG.AU. Dusseldorp Skills Forum. Established 1988 by Lend Lease shareholders Independent public interest enterprise
E N D
Learning & Working Today: What young people themselvesand the research are telling us DUSSELDORP SKILLS FORUM July 2007 DSF.ORG.AU
Dusseldorp Skills Forum • Established 1988 by Lend Lease shareholders • Independent public interest enterprise • Operating foundation with policy, research & practice arms • Focus: youth, skills, participation, citizenship • Seeks: individual, community & policy change • Catalyst for significant legislative, policy & practice change in education and training
Our major partners • Australian Industry Group • Business Council of Australia • Australian Council of Trade Unions • Group Training Australia • Philanthropies • Worldskills • Commonwealth & State governments • Practitioners, educators, researchers, youth
Projects & research featured • It’s Crunch Time, 2007 • What Young People are Thinking, 2007 • Fearless and Flexible, 2006 • How Young People are Faring, 2006 • Clearing the Myths Away, 2006 • Kirby Comes of Age, 2006 • Getting It Right, 2005 • Same Kids, Same Goals • Next Generation teacher preparation
Some systemic challenges • Australia’s knowledge elite & equity challenge • From mass schooling to universal provision • Attractions of the labour market • Poor resource allocation across sectors • Core standards alongside customised learning • Equity & excellence issues for VET & TAFE • Points of change in very large systems • Civic virtues of learning & instrumental outcomes
Importance of youth transitions • Social & cultural induction to adulthood • Economic impacts on participation & productivity: returns from good transitions are very large • An offset to looming demographic squeeze • Key fact: successful transitions are taking longer • Key variable: first 12 months post-school are central to successful transitions
We are not running out of young people Numbers of 19 year-olds will continue to increase. Youth will be a vital factor in the economy. Source: How Young People are Faring 2006, ABS
We are not running out of young people Estimates of the 15-19 year-old population to 2051. Source: Clearing the Myths Away, Productivity Commission
What young people are thinking • National representative sample of Australians aged 18-24 years about learning & work • Optimistic, confident & fearless about their future • Positive about final year at school, work & study • Engagement significantly affected by early school leaving, attending a government school, parental background • Significant disaffection among casual workers • Some concerns about education costs • Maximum margin of error is generally 3 percent
CONFIDENCE IN WORKING LIFE AND CAREER IN THE YEARS AHEAD And still thinking about the future. At the moment, how confident do you feel that everything will work out OK for you in your working life and career in the years ahead? CONFIDENT TOTAL FULLY ENGAGED NOT FULLY ENGAGED
SATISFACTION WITH VARIOUS ASPECTS OFLIFE SATISFIED DISSATISFIED LIFE OVERALL TOTAL FULLY ENGAGED NOT FULLY ENGAGED FINANCIAL SITUATION TOTAL FULLY ENGAGED NOT FULLY ENGAGED WORK FULL TIME JOB WORK PT/ CASUAL NOT IN PAID JOB EMPLOYMENT SITUATION NOT IN PAID JOB
FEELINGS ABOUT SCHOOL Now a question about the school you attended in your last year of high school. In your opinion, what kind of job did the school do in giving you a good education? Would you say it did an excellent job, very good, good, fair or poor job?” FAIR/ POOR EXCELLENT / VERY GOOD / GOOD FULLY ENGAGED NOT FULLY ENGAGED < YEAR 12 YEAR 12 GOVERNMENT NON-GOVERNMENT
JOB OVERALL OVERALL DUTIES/ TASKS SUPERVISOR SENSE OF ACHIEVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROMOTION OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAINING/ LEARNING HOW CHALLENGING JOB IS PAY - TAKING INTO ACCOUNT YOUR SKILLS/ EXPERIENCE OTHER TERMS/ CONDITIONS EG HOURS, LEAVE, SICK PAY SATISFACTION WITH VARIOUS ASPECTS OF JOB - FULL TIME VS PART TIME/ CASUAL - SATISFIED DISSATISFIED
OVERALL FEELINGS/ IMPRESSIONS ABOUT BEING A STUDENT Which one of the following best describes your feelings and impressions so far about being a student at (educational institution)? Overall, would you say it has been...? TOTAL STUDYING OTHER INSTITUTION FULL TIME PART TIME AT UNI
Teenagers not engaged full-time 13.8% (or 196,200) teenagers not in full-time learning or work.
Unemployment & part-time work Unemployment has more than halved since the 1990s recession while part-time work has risen.
School leavers not fully engaged Nearly 30% of 2005 school-leavers were not in study or work full-time in May 2006.
Completing Year 12 matters 20% of Y12 leavers; 45% of Y11 leavers; 50% of Y10 leavers not fully engaged: a big opportunity gap.
Young adults not fully engaged The level of young adult engagement is improving but still 22% are not fully engaged.
Growth in full-time jobs since 1995 1.270 million full-time jobs created for 25-64 year olds since 1995; static full-time job growth for teenagers & decline of 42,000 for young adults.
It’s Crunch Time: attainment • School or Cert III completion rate of 81 percent • Relatively static for more than a decade • Indigenous completion at half this rate • 25-34 yo: 20th in OECD for school completion • 46% of school leavers not in post-school study • 47% overall traineeship completion rate • 60% traditional apprenticeship completion rate • Early leavers profoundly disadvantaged in Australia
It’s Crunch Time: engagement • Noticeable improvement in recent years • 13.8% of teenagers not fully engaged • 22% of young adults not fully engaged • 526,000 or 18% of 15-24 yo not fully engaged • 306,000 or 11% of 15-24 yo unemployed, underemployed or marginally attached to work
It’s Crunch Time: attainment & engagement • 45-50,000 early school leavers each year not fully engaged 6 months after leaving school • 45% of Year 11 leavers & 49% of Year 10 leavers not fully engaged • 1:3 Year 11 leavers & 2:5 Year 10 leavers not fully engaged as young adults • 107,000 young adults without Yr 12 or Cert III not in the labour force, unemployed, or working part-time and not studying
Some significant policy myths • Too much emphasis is placed on university education • A choice must be made between trade training & university education • Today’s training rate will meet future skill needs • Youth benefit most from higher training rates • Traineeships will meet skills shortages • Traineeships are inferior forms of training
Final comments • Young Australians are confident & fearless about their future & their experience in work or learning • Early school leaving, attending a government school & parental background significantly affect engagement • Gaps around policy rhetoric & current resources • Lack of integrated approach in federal policy development • Very significant opportunity to address Australia’s 3Ps • It’s up to us: investment & policy decisions of baby-boomers will determine if youth confidence is justified • Stakeholder engagement & national debate are crucial