Indigenous School to Work Transition - Report

In 1998, the then Department of Employment, Education Training and Youth Affairs established a Task Force on School to Work Transitions for Indigenous Australians. The purpose of the Task Force was to review the access to Departmental programmes and services by young Indigenous Australians moving from school to work. It was also to consider how these programmes might be varied to overcome identified access barriers.

As part of this process, the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) was commissioned to produce a Report which provided a literature review, analysed related statistical data and produced an annotated bibliography of related subject matter. The Report will be used to inform Departmental policy development as well as assist in the review of its education, employment and training related programmes. It will also provide the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs, and other Departments with interest in this area, with data which can be used to adjust programme delivery aimed at increasing the level of access to services by Indigenous young people.

The Report identifies barriers to successful transition from school to work, including forms of teaching, curriculum and assessment which pose greater educational challenges for Indigenous youth, as well as broader social issues such as racism, poverty, poor health, remote location, incarceration and an absence of employment opportunities. It also highlights the need for improvements in educational outcomes as the key to improved results in the labour market. It provides an overview of the common features associated with successful transitions and programmes as well as some systemic weaknesses inhibiting success.

It reviews a range of statistical data and provides valuable insights into education and labour market participation rates for Indigenous and non-indigenous populations of young people moving from school to work. It also discusses educational attainment levels of both groups and demonstrates their direct correlation with employment rates, highlighting the significance of issues reviewed by the Task Force.

This Report indicates areas for further activity to progress the Government's agenda of raising the labour market participation rates for Indigenous young Australians and I commend ACER for its compilation.