Statement by H. E. Mr. Colin Walters, First Assistant Secretary, International Section, Department of Employment, Education, Traning and Youth Affairs, Australia
11/08/1998
I am very pleased to be here today on behalf of the Government of Australia and I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the people of Portugal for their generous hospitality in hosting this conference and the associated youth events.
Today’s young Australians, those aged 15-24, make up around 15% of our total population, namely 2.7 million out of a total population of around 18 million. As in many other countries, they are among the healthiest and best educated generation in our history and of course, hold the key to our future.
Our Government is dedicated to creating an Australia in which every Australian can fulfil his or her full potential. In the case of young Australians, this means having access to a world class education and training system and effective pathways from education and training to the world of work. It is vital that our young people receive the support and encouragement they need to make the right choices.
The Commonwealth Government has made its priorities clear on youth issues, has appointed a Cabinet Minister with responsibility for youth affairs, and has a Youth Bureau within a major portfolio (the Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs) to initiate and coordinate activities in this field.
More than two thirds of Australia’s 15-19 year olds are in education, as are 30 per cent of 20-24 year olds. This means that many more young people are in education than ever before. In particular, the numbers in post-school education and training are at record levels. It is an exciting world in which young people have many opportunities that were unavailable to previous generations. Increasing technological change means today’s young people will only reach their full potential by studying or training to the best of their ability, looking carefully at their career options, participating in the community and committing themselves to life-long learning.
Our schools aim to provide positive and rewarding learning experiences. We seek to avoid early school leaving, which has clearly detrimental effects on young people’s life prospects.
The Government wishes to empower young Australians by giving them the right of choice. At all levels of education and training the Government is encouraging the maximum possible diversity and choice for users. It is now easier to choose the most appropriate school, and a competitive national training market is developing in the vocational education sector. All of this is about opportunities for enterprises and individuals: opportunities to obtain the education and training best fitted to their talents and their aspirations.
The Australian Government in cooperation with our State and Territory governments has established two priorities for our young people:
1. to promote the positive achievements of and image of young people; and
2. to encourage an understanding of the importance of education and training. Our Government is committed to ensuring that Australia’s schools are focussed on meeting the needs of all young people. Our schools must continue to provide positive and rewarding learning experiences.
Education and training options for young people have been expanded in Australia, particularly those which concern the important transitions from dependence and from education and training to employment. Priority is also being given to improving young people’s literacy and numeracy skills and to civics education in schools - which supports the democratic foundations of our country.
A new initiative was announced in January 1998 - Full Service Schools. This initiative aims to help schools develop innovative programmes and services that address the specific needs of under 18 year olds returning to full time education. Full Service Schools also provide help to current students who are at risk of not completing senior secondary school or not making a successful transition from school to work.
The Jobs Pathway Programme also assists young people to make a successful transition from school to the world of work. This programme provides mentoring support to school leavers.
The New Apprenticeships Programme enables senior secondary students to commence apprenticeships part-time, as part of their schooling.
Our Government also produces a range of occupational, labour market and related information products to enable young people to make informed decisions about their school to work choices.
Our Government supports a range of activities which promote the achievements of young people and a positive image of youth. These include:
Communicating with young people and enhancing their image are important priorities because we recognise that young people want to be heard and have more direct and open communication with decision makers. A number of new mechanisms are helping the Commonwealth Government communicate with Australia’s young people. These include a national network of Youth Officers and a new web site called The Source.
In addition, the Voices of Youth Initiative will enhance young people’s capacity to communicate with government. This initiative includes the formation of a Youth Round Table which will meet biannually. It will bring together 50 young Australians aged 15-24 to discuss issues of importance to them and to meet with members of the Government. The young people will be drawn from a wide range of backgrounds and will give our Government the opportunity to listen closely to the views and wishes of our young people.
In developing programmes for young people, the Government has kept in mind the need for business and community involvement, and the connection of young people to their local communities.
A number of new programmes offer the opportunity for the community to support its young people, and for young people to offer something in return.
Through the Green Corps programme, young people are given the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to the environment by working on projects to preserve and restore Australia’s natural and cultural heritage. The Government has allocated funds to implement the programme, mainly in rural and remote areas, and to support the training, skills development and work experience for Green Corps participants. Under this programme 212 surveys have been undertaken, over 172 000 trees and shrubs propagated and about 750 000 planted, some 880 kilograms of seed collected, 243km of fences erected, 15 000 hectares weeded, some 124km of walking track constructed and a further 221km maintained.
Measures to help unemployed young people find jobs build on the principle of mutual obligation. In return for financial support from the community, it is fair to expect individuals, while improving their job prospects and their competitiveness in the labour market, to contribute to their local community. These arrangements reflect a much more positive and intensive approach in assisting unemployed young people to help themselves. With this choice comes greater personal responsibility for undertaking activities which will improve their job prospects and connection with the community.
The Government recognises that some young people need extra help to build links with the community and with the work force. The Job Placement, Employment and Training programme (JPET) provides comprehensive support for homeless and disadvantaged young people aged 15-21 years. It helps young people to stabilise their accommodation, and to address other barriers they may face to schooling, training or work.
The Commonwealth Government has also developed a number of initiatives which address the health needs of our young people.
To promote the life and well being of young people, the Government has implemented a long term National Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy which provides a range of education, health and media/awareness projects and services that target young people at risk of suicide.
The National Mental Health Strategy is based on the principles of universal access to basic health care and provision of high quality service. It includes a particular focus on the early intervention and detection of mental health problems experienced by young people.
The National Drug Strategy is a nationally coordinated approach to minimising the harm arising from the misuse of licit and illicit drugs, including alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceuticals. It includes education and information initiatives for the local implementation of a new drug education strategy in schools.
The Government has also attempted to address the more specific needs of at risk and homeless young people.
The National Campaign Against Violence and Crime (NCAVAC) recognises that young people are victims of violence as well as offenders. In particular, a number of campaign initiatives concern the prevention of domestic violence and young people's needs and experiences in this area.
The Youth Homelessness Pilot Programme focuses on re-engaging young people at risk of homelessness in family, work, education, training and life in the community. Emphasis is on identifying early home leaving and developing family relations approaches to support young people and their families in the reconciliation process.
The role of young people in the modern world transcends national boundaries. We have inaugurated the Youth Ambassadors for Development Programme. It is a new youth volunteer program which will enable 500 young Australians to live and work in the Asia Pacific region. These volunteers will lend their skills and experiences to host communities or organisations and help foster greater understanding and further the development of the countries in our region.
Australia provides financial support for the Commonwealth Youth Programme. The programme aims to empower young people through the recognition of their contribution to the economic, social and cultural development of their countries.
We have also co-sponsored a number of Enterprise Development Workshops for Indigenous Young People which provide young people from the Pacific region with the opportunity to achieve self-empowerment through the establishment of small business enterprises. Importantly this gives young people the opportunity to contribute to the development of their communities by sharing their acquired knowledge and skill.
We look forward to hearing at this conference about the innovative and exciting programmes for young people which have been inaugurated by Governments around the world. Young people hold the key to the future of the world and they deserve the best opportunities and choices that we can provide for them. This conference will help us all to learn from each other’s experiences and we welcome the initiative of the Government of Portugal and the United Nations in organising it.
Commonwealth of Australia
Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs
Camberra
August 1998