*The new Career Advice Australia website 
is now available.
The Australian Government has extended its commitment to help young Australians make a smooth transition from school to further study, or from school to work. The Government’s 2005 Budget commitment of an additional $143.2 million from 2005-06 to 2008-09 will for the first time provide a comprehensive national career and transition support network for all young Australians from 13 to 19 years. This commitment, announced as the Australian Network of Industry Careers Advisers, is now referred to as Career Advice Australia to provide a clear brand for the wide range of programmes and services delivered by the Australian Government. Youth Pathways is a programme which has been incorporated under the CAA banner, with strong connections to the aims of the other programmes under the CAA initiative. More recently Connections has been added to the suite of programmes and is aimed at helping disconnected young people.
Preferred applicants for Local Community Partnerships, and preferred tenderers for Youth Pathways , were announced on 25 November 2005. Successful tenderers for Connections 
(21.9 KB) were announced on 26 April 2007.
The new programmes funded in the 2005 Budget add significant contribution to the national career and transition support system. Other key elements in this national career and transitions support system include the myfuture website, the Real Game series, Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Schools, Enterprise Learning for the 21st Century, and numerous career advice products and services.
Key elements of Career Advice Australia include:
1. Enhanced Career and Transition Capacity for Local Community Partnerships
The network of LCPs will partner with industry and employer groups, schools, in community organisations, parents, young people, youth service providers and other government organisations and professional career advisers to:
- facilitate the provision of assistance to students to develop individual transition plans and understand study and work options;
- facilitate access to professional career advice;
- organise and monitor relevant industry placements through the Structured Workplace Learning programme;
- manage and promote industry-led Adopt a School projects;
- promote vocational and technical education pathways and opportunities;
- enhance monitoring and mentoring arrangements of all young people, particularly year 9 and 10 students;
- facilitate the engagement of parents, teachers and career advisers in education about post school options; and
- facilitate the provision of advice on youth services and programmes.
Further information is available.
2. Improving the Professional Standards of Career Advice
In addition to the LCP network, the Australian Government is committed to elevating the standard of career advice in school and the regard held for career advice as an integral part of the school curriculum. Raising the quality of career advice and recognition of career practitioners will be achieved by:
- introducing national professional standards for career advisers;
- expanding professional development opportunities for career advisers;
- providing scholarships for career advisers to undertake study and industry placements;
- funding School and Industry Leaders Forums; and
- rewarding and highlighting the work of schools which integrate high quality career advice into their school curriculum.
3. Extending Industry Leadership
The Australian Government believes that young people need professional career advice from industry experts and qualified career advisers as well as meaningful work experience, including Structured Workplace Learning, and the opportunity to gain vocational qualifications while at school. Two national industry career adviser networks will support the CAA initiative: A Network of Regional Industry Career Advisers (RICAs) and a Network of Industry Sector National Industry Career Specialists (NICS).
Regional Industry Career Advisers
The RICA Network will work in partnership with LCPs to engage schools, local business/industry and community groups or representatives to ensure that all young people have access to expert industry career advice.
RICAs will:
- provide quality, relevant industry career information, advice and resources particularly in skills needs areas, in partnership with LCPs, for young people, schools, parent groups, youth service providers and community groups; and to businesses, ATCs, Registered Training Organisations and Job Network members;
- build partnerships with local and regional businesses to promote an awareness to the community of the skills needs in their sectors;
- raise awareness and use of the eight employability groupings of employability skills in partnership with LCPs;
- facilitate employer participation in LCP governance mechanisms and in Adopt a School projects;
- facilitate employer participation in Structured Workplace Learning placements and School-based New Apprenticeships;
- promote industry involvement in vocational education and VET in schools delivery;
- work with the NICS Network, Education Training Advisers, employers and employer groups and education authorities to collaborate in the delivery of the above;
- develop and maintain up to date independent information specific to the contracted RICA Service Region;
- develop, maintain and strengthen relationships with stakeholders;
- promote the RICA Network as an Australian Government initiative; and
- work with, add value to, but not duplicate State and Territory initiatives.
National Industry Career Specialists
A national network of NICS will support the work of an individual RICA by developing and providing targeted, Industry Sector specific quality career advice and specialist information including information on skills needs and labour markets. NICS will work with Industry Skills Councils, industry bodies, Group Training Australia and State Training Authorities and national parent associations.
Contracted NICS organisations
|
NICS Industry Sector
|
Organisation |
|
1. Services
|
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) |
|
2. Transport and Logistics
|
Transport Distribution Training Australia (TDT Australia) |
|
3. Resources and Infrastructure
|
Australian Industry Group (AiG) |
|
4. Electro Communications and Energy Utilities
|
Australian Industry Group (AiG) |
|
5. Community Services and Health
|
Community Services and Health Industry
Skills Council (CSH) |
|
6. Agri-Food
|
Rural Skills Australia (RSA) |
|
7. Innovation and Business
|
Australian Industry Group (AiG) |
|
8. Construction and Property Services
|
Construction and Property Services Industry Skills Council (CPSISC) |
|
9. Manufacturing
|
Australian Industry Group (AiG) |
|
10. Government and Community Safety
|
Government Skills Australia (GSA) |
NICS will:
- develop and provide Industry Sector-specific; quality career, skills needs and labour market information to each RICA;
- raise the awareness of emerging industry skills needs, training pathways, occupational and career opportunities and identify strategies to overcome barriers to employer engagement and resistance in supporting young people’s career and transitions development in their Industry Sector by working with Industry Skills Councils, industry bodies, Group Training Australia, State Training Authorities, national parent associations and other appropriate organisations;
- collaborate with other NICS Providers;
- develop and maintain up to date information specific to the contracted NICS Industry Sector on DEST’s (soon to be developed) NICS webpage; and
- give due recognition of the NICS Network as an Australian Government initiative.
4. Youth Pathways
Youth Pathways aims to assist the most at-risk young people to make a successful transition through school to completion of year 12 (or its equivalent) and ultimately, to further education, training or employment and active participation in the community, therefore the aims of this programme are closely aligned with the aims of the other programmes under the CAA initiative.
Nationally, there are 100 Youth Pathways service regions and each year over 17,000 young people between 13 and 19 years of age are expected to be supported by the provision of intensive individualised assistance and support to help them make a successful transition.
- Under Youth Pathways, eligible young people will receive:
- personal one-on-one assistance to help identify strengths, goals and the barriers getting in the way;
- individual assistance and guidance to help overcome barriers;
- support to achieve their goals; and
- other services aimed at better equipping them to successfully make the transition through school and from school to further education, training or employment.
Further information is available from: www.youthpathways.dest.gov.au
5. Connections
Connections, previously known as the Partnership Outreach Education Model (POEM), aims to assist disconnected young people to re-engage with education in a supportive environment and provide them with the ability to participate in further education, training or employment. Nationally, there are 60 Connections service regions and each year around 3,000 young people between 13 and 19 years of age are expected to be supported to make a successful transition.
Under Connections, eligible young people will:
- receive accredited education and training on a full-time basis in a supportive and flexible community environment; or personal one-on-one assistance to help identify strengths, goals and the barriers getting in the way;
- undertake appropriate short courses, learning and educational activities which will provide them with the ability to participate in further education, training or employment;
- develop career/life management skills and employability skills;
- have a regularly updated Transition Plan; and
- are provided with personal support during their time in the Programme, on exit and at least three months after they have left.
Further information is available at www.dest.gov.au/connections.