Mr BONSON - 2002-08-15
Many young people face uncertain and difficult times when they make the move from school to the world of work. Minister, can you outline to the House what steps you are taking to assist young people in this important stage of their life?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for his question on this issue of transition to work for young people. He is much closer to youth than I, and he does have a real interest in this. He was with me at the Croc Festival in Nhulunbuy a few weeks ago, where a part of the government strategy was on show for the first time.
School to work transition and the difficulties for young people is not new. I recall when I was with the Commonwealth Department of Employment, Education and Training, as far back as the early and mid-1980s, there were different programs at the Commonwealth level entitled School to Work Transition in order to facilitate and ease young people through the relative comfort and security of the school student life into the world of work. Some do it very well, as we all know, some get through it with a bit of difficulty and some, unfortunately, never quite get there at all.
We come to the whole question of transition to work with a focus on two issues as a government. The first is to provide the broadest possible range of employment training and further education for these young people. The second stage of that process is the provision of advice. It is one thing to have the avenues and the pathways to work, but it is not much help if they do not know about it and do not know how to access it. So to assist students, young people and their parents to understand the full range of options that government is working with industry to deliver, and to give them the information to make these vital life choice and career decisions, DEET, the Department of Employment, Education and Training, has organised this program of Futures Expos. They are a cooperative effort between schools, universities, training providers, indigenous organisations, government agencies, and industry and business to assist people to see, at first hand, their future pathways and what might apply to them.
In 2002, the Futures Expo programs will be extended to all regional centres. One was recently conducted in Nhulunbuy, as I mentioned, and the member for Millner was there. I am sure he was as impressed as I was with the display and the ability of the people on the ground with those displays to work people through their particular industry and focus.
The Darwin Futures Expo included the Top End launch of the myfuture.edu.au, Australia’s new online career exploration service. Futures Expos will also be held in Tennant Creek, Katherine, Jabiru and Alice Springs. The Alice Springs Futures Expo, 24-26 August, will run in conjunction with the Youth Muster, a Year of the Outback event, and will include the launch of the Central Australian website.
We see these Futures Expos as complementing the work that is already done in schools by vocational guidance and careers counselling, and I commend the work they have done. Over the last few years, probably going back 10 years or more, it was probably done fairly ordinarily, you would have to say. Over the last 10 years there has been a marked improvement in the ability of high school vocational careers guidance teachers to impart the information they have to students. We see this as another step in an enhanced effort which complements the very good work done by those teachers.
A lot of effort goes into organising these expos; 40 exhibitor organisations were at the Darwin Expo, and I want to take this opportunity to thank all those exhibitors, the sponsors, the organising committees at each of the expos for their support and their commitment to helping our young students in those very early but critical life-decision choices that they are faced with.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for his question on this issue of transition to work for young people. He is much closer to youth than I, and he does have a real interest in this. He was with me at the Croc Festival in Nhulunbuy a few weeks ago, where a part of the government strategy was on show for the first time.
School to work transition and the difficulties for young people is not new. I recall when I was with the Commonwealth Department of Employment, Education and Training, as far back as the early and mid-1980s, there were different programs at the Commonwealth level entitled School to Work Transition in order to facilitate and ease young people through the relative comfort and security of the school student life into the world of work. Some do it very well, as we all know, some get through it with a bit of difficulty and some, unfortunately, never quite get there at all.
We come to the whole question of transition to work with a focus on two issues as a government. The first is to provide the broadest possible range of employment training and further education for these young people. The second stage of that process is the provision of advice. It is one thing to have the avenues and the pathways to work, but it is not much help if they do not know about it and do not know how to access it. So to assist students, young people and their parents to understand the full range of options that government is working with industry to deliver, and to give them the information to make these vital life choice and career decisions, DEET, the Department of Employment, Education and Training, has organised this program of Futures Expos. They are a cooperative effort between schools, universities, training providers, indigenous organisations, government agencies, and industry and business to assist people to see, at first hand, their future pathways and what might apply to them.
In 2002, the Futures Expo programs will be extended to all regional centres. One was recently conducted in Nhulunbuy, as I mentioned, and the member for Millner was there. I am sure he was as impressed as I was with the display and the ability of the people on the ground with those displays to work people through their particular industry and focus.
The Darwin Futures Expo included the Top End launch of the myfuture.edu.au, Australia’s new online career exploration service. Futures Expos will also be held in Tennant Creek, Katherine, Jabiru and Alice Springs. The Alice Springs Futures Expo, 24-26 August, will run in conjunction with the Youth Muster, a Year of the Outback event, and will include the launch of the Central Australian website.
We see these Futures Expos as complementing the work that is already done in schools by vocational guidance and careers counselling, and I commend the work they have done. Over the last few years, probably going back 10 years or more, it was probably done fairly ordinarily, you would have to say. Over the last 10 years there has been a marked improvement in the ability of high school vocational careers guidance teachers to impart the information they have to students. We see this as another step in an enhanced effort which complements the very good work done by those teachers.
A lot of effort goes into organising these expos; 40 exhibitor organisations were at the Darwin Expo, and I want to take this opportunity to thank all those exhibitors, the sponsors, the organising committees at each of the expos for their support and their commitment to helping our young students in those very early but critical life-decision choices that they are faced with.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016