Adolescent Education and Pre-Employment Interventions in Australia
Keeping Young People in Education, Employment and Training
![image of Adolescent Education and Pre-Employment Interventions in Australia image of Adolescent Education and Pre-Employment Interventions in Australia](https://assets.oecdcode.org/covers/100/7bf19171.jpg)
About one in ten young people in Australia are neither in employment, education or training (NEET), a factor that may lower their long-term economic prospects and threaten their well-being. Individuals who did not graduate from upper secondary education, who have health limitations, or who are Indigenous are over-represented in this group. Preventative policies and interventions targeted at adolescents in their early- to mid-teens can reduce the share of young people out of employment, education and training. This report explores what is known about the potential preventative impact of educational and pre-employment interventions on later NEET status and presents a range of policies and initiatives from across the OECD that can reduce the NEET probability among key at-risk populations. The report covers interventions to prevent early school leaving and to promote student engagement and motivation; to strengthen career education, career guidance and employer engagement; and to improve the perception of the vocational education and training (VET) system and the learning of VET students. The report also provides recommendations on improving the monitoring and evaluation of youth policies in general and policies to keep young people in employment, education and training in particular.
Executive summary
In 2021, about one in ten young people in Australia were not in employment, education or training (NEET), compared to an OECD average of around one in seven. This report explores how educational, pre‑employment and vocational interventions targeted at 12‑16 year‑olds might reduce the prevalence of the NEET status among older teenagers and young people in their early twenties. Among young people who are NEET, a higher share are unemployed rather than inactive, potentially making it easier to guide them to employment or education or training. Lower educational attainment, health problems and limitations, and Indigeneity are all associated with a higher likelihood of being NEET. These characteristics need to be considered when designing NEET prevention policies.
- Click to access:
-
Click to download PDF - 312.48KBPDF