NCJ Number
191094
Journal
Youth Studies Australia Volume: 20 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2001 Pages: 23-28
Date Published
June 2001
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article examines the results of a large-scale survey of Australian youth that completed schooling in 1997.
Abstract
While the job prospects of those in older age groups have improved over the past 10 years, there has been a persistence of an identifiable group of young people who fail to engage in the work force or the education system. Youth at risk can be characterized as young people who experience difficulty negotiating their life options after completing school and do not engage in further study or employment. Four groups of young people were compared: those enrolled in tertiary study via the admissions center, those in employment, those who were undertaking another form of further study, and those who were unemployed or not in the labor force. Overwhelmingly, respondents who were unemployed or not studying had attended a government school with fewer having completed their schooling at Catholic or independent schools. Fewer males than females who responded indicated that they were unemployed or not in the labor force. Youth at risk were similar to other young people regarding their reasons for not studying and their access to information about their post-school options. The main differences between those at risk and other young people were their achievement at school, their failure to apply for tertiary study through an admissions center, and their parents’ highest level of education. Youth at risk may benefit from structured arrangements to facilitate the school to work transition as this group indicated that they specifically intended to seek work after leaving school but had been unsuccessful. 1 figure, 7 tables, 7 references