Dr Phuc Nguyen, La Trobe University
Email: p.nguyen2@latrobe.edu.au
Prof Mark Considine, University of Melbourne
Email: m.considine@unimelb.edu.au
The consequences of unemployment for young people are far-reaching at multiple levels. Young people with no work or poor employment outcomes not only “lose income, but also suffer from reduced job prospects, mental health and social integration in both the short and long term” (Littleton & Campbell, 2022, p.1). They however have experienced a higher level of unemployment (usually around three times higher than for older adults (Verick, 2024, p.13)), underemployment and casualisation than the rest of the workforce despite multiple government-funded employment services initiatives (Littleton & Campbell, 2022).
Drawing on a systematic review and an Australian case study, this paper first examines a stocktake of best practices in supporting young jobseekers into work, and subsequently, proposes a conceptual framework that explores a new approach to “break young people free from their traditional place at the bottom of the labour market” (Littleton & Campbell, 2022, p.6). The study is situated within the tensions between ‘what works’ for young jobseekers and the key features and requirements of government-funded employment services with which service providers are expected to comply.
References
Littleton, E., & Campbell, R. (2022). Youth Unemployment and the Pandemic.
Verick, S. S. (2024). A Global Perspective on Youth Employment Challenges: What Have We Learned Over the Last Two Decades? In A. Mitra (Ed.), Youth in Indian Labour Market: Issues, Challenges and Policies (pp. 13-28). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-0379-1_2
