Young People and Work Online Forum - Summary of Findings
In 2004 and 2005 the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) has been looking at issues around young people and work, including work safety and young workers' rights and responsibilities. The YAC held an online forum to hear from young people and other interested parties about what they think are the key work issues young people face today.
There were twenty-seven submissions to the forum. The main issues identified by participants are outlined below.
- It was generally agreed that working helps to build young people's identity and gives them a level of financial independence, and also that working helps young people to increase their life skills, including dealing with a broad range of people and experiencing a range of new situations.
- The main suggestion for addressing the issues raised in the forum was that young people should be given more information about their rights and responsibilities at work. A number of people suggested that there should be a greater focus on this in the schools careers curriculum.
- A number of people commented on instances of young people's rights being abused or neglected, citing examples of young people being asked to undertake unpaid trials; not receiving the rest and refreshment breaks they were entitled to under enterprise agreements; being given extended training periods at a reduced training wage, even when training was complete and they were performing the job they had been hired for.
- Young people reported that employers were not always sympathetic to the conflicting demands of work and study. In one case, asking for reduced working hours to try to balance these resulted in the young person resigning because they felt that their request had led to harassment at work.
- Many people felt that young people's contribution to society as workers was undervalued, both in terms of rates of pay and in the way they are treated by employers.
- There was considerable discussion both for and against age-based pay awards. A number of people suggested that the current awards discriminate against young people who may have more skills and experience than older co-workers.
- It was also noted that under the State pay awards young people are considered 'junior' until they are twenty-one, even though they have the legal responsibilities, and in many cases the financial responsibilities, of adults from the age of 18.
- A number of people commented on the increasing importance of a young workforce in a country with an ageing population, such as Australia. They noted that while the Australian Government's move to increase the number of apprenticeships and traineeships was seen as positive, there may also need to be corresponding increases in incentives, such as improved pay and conditions, for young people to want to take these up.
On behalf of the Youth Advisory Council I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the online forum. These submissions will be presented to the Minister for Youth, Reba Meagher, as part of the YAC's investigation into issues around young people and work.
Mathew Ferguson
Chair, Youth Advisory Council
August 2005
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