Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The national rate of unemployment for persons between 15 and 19 years of age looking for full-time work was 24.2 per cent as at January 2010. The current rate of youth unemployment in the Fairfield-Liverpool region is 33.5 per cent. These figures are alarmingly high, and it is vital that we as a parliament play our part in encouraging our youth to continue with their education, making them more job ready and, in turn, encouraging our local businesses to reward these efforts with employment. Combating youth unemployment was one of the five initiatives that I nominated as my priorities in taking up the federal seat of Fowler. I have been advised by employers in the region that it is the lack of education and training—and, therefore, adequate skills—of the youth workforce that is the main reason for the lack of employment opportunities for this group.

Education, and high school retention specifically, plays a critical part in improving a young person’s chance of employment. According to the New South Wales Department of Education and Training, the current full-time retention rate for high schools in Western Sydney is 72.6 per cent. I know this statistic can be improved if governments, both state and federal, truly work together with the community. I note that the figure was as low as 69 per cent in 2004, so clearly progress is being made—but we still have a long way to go.

Keeping in mind that a lot needs to be done, I would also like to acknowledge that considerable effort has already gone towards achieving that goal. Last year, the federal government set a target of 90 per cent of young people completing year 12 by the year 2015. This is a realistic and obtainable figure, but obviously it is going to take considerable effort. The Commonwealth is also providing over $200,000 over the next four years so that each education jurisdiction can develop programs designed to encourage students to stay in school and complete year 12 and then be able to undertake further education and training. There is also $47 million as part of the National Career Development Week initiative, which includes individual career development sessions for students, local mentoring programs, improving work experience opportunities and targeting vocational pathways for young people. This also sits comfortably with the government’s position on trade training in schools.

I would like to take a little time to commend some of the local businesses in my area who are very much joining in and doing their part to ensure that young people receive adequate training and employment opportunities. Recently I spoke with Greg Pickering, Group CEO of Mounties Group clubs, one of the largest employers in the south-west of Sydney. This is one of the employers that truly understand the importance of giving young people a chance. In fact, 95 per cent of Mounties staff live within a five-kilometre radius of the club and 35 per cent of them are under the age of 25. This is an example of an employer that takes its community responsibilities seriously in tackling the issue of youth unemployment in our area. Mounties works with local high schools and other educational facilities, such as TAFEs, to provide work experience opportunities, traineeships and apprenticeships to local youth and students. Mounties is also the co-founder of the Street University in Liverpool, which has an on-site cafe that also serves as a training facility for youth in that region. Another example is Harry Hunt OAM, the owner of the Comfort Inn Hunts Liverpool, who spearheaded the Keep Australia Working committee for the south-west of Sydney. He is a man who certainly knows the value of giving young people an opportunity and working with them to provide them with a future.

We must not allow a situation to develop where young people who do not receive adequate training and support today become the long-term unemployed of tomorrow. Tackling this issue now is vital as an investment for our community. Finally, I would like to commend our high-school teachers for their dedication and professionalism, and for doing so much to help local students develop and fulfil their potential.

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