Learning & Working Today: What young people themselves and the research are telling us DUSSELDORP SKILLS FORUM July 2007 DSF.ORG.AU

2 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

3 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

4 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

5 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

6 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

7 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

8 We are not running out of young people Estimates of the year-old population to Source: Clearing the Myths Away, Productivity Commission

9 What young people are thinking National representative sample of Australians aged 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

10 LEVELS OF ENGAGEMENT BY SEGMENT

11 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 FULLY ENGAGED NOT FULLY ENGAGED TOTAL CONFIDENCE IN WORKING LIFE AND CAREER IN THE YEARS AHEAD

12 LIFE OVERALL FINANCIAL SITUATION EMPLOYMENT SITUATION SATISFACTION WITH VARIOUS ASPECTS OF LIFE FULLY ENGAGED NOT FULLY ENGAGED TOTAL FULLY ENGAGED NOT FULLY ENGAGED TOTAL NOT IN PAID JOB NOT IN PAID JOB WORK FULL TIME JOB WORK PT/ CASUAL DISSATISFIED SATISFIED

13 FULLY ENGAGED NOT FULLY ENGAGED < YEAR 12 YEAR 12 GOVERNMENT NON-GOVERNMENT 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 / POOREXCELLENT / VERY GOOD / GOOD FEELINGS ABOUT SCHOOL

14 SATISFACTION WITH VARIOUS ASPECTS OF JOB - FULL TIME VS PART TIME/ CASUAL - DISSATISFIED SATISFIED 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 JOB OVERALL

15 FULL TIME PART TIME 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 AT UNI OTHER INSTITUTION OVERALL FEELINGS/ IMPRESSIONS ABOUT BEING A STUDENT

16 Teenagers not engaged full-time 13.8% (or 196,200) teenagers not in full-time learning or work.

17 Unemployment & part-time work Unemployment has more than halved since the 1990s recession while part-time work has risen.

18 School leavers not fully engaged Nearly 30% of 2005 school-leavers were not in study or work full-time in May 2006.

19 Completing Year 12 matters 20% of Y12 leavers; 45% of Y11 leavers; 50% of Y10 leavers not fully engaged: a big opportunity gap.

20 Young adults not fully engaged The level of young adult engagement is improving but still 22% are not fully engaged.

21 Growth in full-time jobs since million full-time jobs created for year olds since 1995; static full-time job growth for teenagers & decline of 42,000 for young adults.

22 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 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

23 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 yo not fully engaged 306,000 or 11% of yo unemployed, underemployed or marginally attached to work

24 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

25 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

26 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