How Young People Are Faring: Key Indicators 2004

An update about the learning and work situation of young Australians

By Mike Long

Since the first How Young People Are Faring report in 1999 by the Dusseldorp Skills Forum post-compulsory education and the transition from school to work have been the site of many innovations:

curriculum reforms, the rise of vocational education in schools and the expansion of workplace training among them. Major reforms are underway in most states and territories. At the Commonwealth level, there have been significant reviews and further trials supplementing existing programs.

It is now possible to build on the momentum of the last few years, to align Commonwealth-State youth transition policies, ensure personal transition support is available to all young people who need it and to put in place effective local programs connecting young people to education and to work.

One critical element in doing this is to ensure that we have the information we need to assess what policies and programs are effective in improving the participation of young people in learning and in the labour market.

This report suggests we have a considerable way yet to go. There are clear gaps in the existing data and concerns that the measures being developed will leave a significant time lag between the documented events and the reporting. Mike Long cautions us that "measures that monitor policies and programs a decade or so after their implementation provide little incentive for public responsibility". Commonwealth and State Governments must put the information systems in place to ensure reliable and current data against clear indicators. The information needs to be timely and it has to be publicly available.

How young people are faring 2004 does hold some good news on rising levels of educational attainment, participation in training and the high take-up of vocational opportunities in schools. What this report again reminds us though is that there are 214,800 reasons why that's just not good enough.

(Dusseldorp Skills Forum. September 2004)