Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I speak today on behalf of some of Geelong's most disadvantaged young people who are in real need of support to connect with education, training and secure employment opportunities. Last week's budget scrapped three vital educational and transitional programs which support the participation of young people in education and in the workforce. They are Youth Connections, Partnership Brokers and National Career Development. These cuts are a clear indication that the Abbott government is determined to make life even harder for young people who are struggling with education and employment. At a time when the government is already seeking to deny young job seekers the right to Newstart, pulling the plug on those vital services is undoubtedly a short-sighted move. When a young person is having a tough time with education or finding a job, the worst message that a government can send them is, 'You're on your own,' but that is exactly what Tony Abbott is saying to the thousands of young people facing this challenge.

In my electorate of Corio we are fortunate to have the Barwon Youth as our excellent provider of the Youth Connections program in the Geelong region which plays a critical role in reaching hundreds of young people across the region every year that are at risk of falling through the cracks. The program has successfully helped over 600 young people with education and employment since Labor established Youth Connections nationally in 2010. In addition, Youth Connections has supported more than 2,000 young people across the region through a range of excellent grassroots initiatives.

Sadly, the Abbott government's ruthless cuts to this program will leave Geelong's young people with no support and the ramifications will hurt young people across the region. Fewer students will complete year 12, early school leavers will have nowhere to go and businesses will not have the skilled workers they need now and into the future. Axing this program, which has a proven success rate of over 80 per cent nationally, simply does not make sense. Not only will this deny Geelong's business sector with the skilled workforce of tomorrow; it will contribute to youth unemployment and increase the risk of youngsters in Geelong becoming disengaged.

As I said, Labor set up Youth Connections in 2010, to support those young people in our community who would otherwise be left to face a lifetime risk of higher unemployment and, in turn, lower earnings. Scrapping this program sends a clear message that the Abbott government is prepared to turn its back on some of the most marginalised young people in our community, a heartless and irresponsible move that will benefit none but will, in the process, hurt many.