I THALZJ_ EMsBARGO: 7.00 p. m.
PRIME MINISTER
FOR PRESS 9 APRIL 1978
ELECTORATE TALK
The Government has shown a concern and a commitment to help
those Australians who cannot find jobs. Latest official figures
show that although unemployment is now starting to fall, it is
still unacceptably high. The needs of the unemployed are
of singular concern to us. While we have been setting the conditions
for a return to full economic health, we have responded to this
need in a sensitive way.
The Government has significantly expanded and iffproved Commonwealth
training and employment schemes with emphasis on the problems
faced by young people. The special training programmes are
working well. However, I do not believe the effects of these
initiatives are fully appreciated throughout the community.
Almost 200,000 people mainly young Australians have already
benefitted from these programmes. Given our pledge that finance
will not be a limiting factor, we expect they will continue to help
more Australians.
The National Employment and Training Scheme has been particularly
effective in training and retraining to meet the changing demands
of the labour market. More than 94,000 Australians have
benefitted from this scheme over the last two years. An
important part of NEAT is the Special Youth Employment Training
Programme which has helped more than 40,000 young Australians
since its inception 18 months ago. The Community Youth Support
Scheme which seeks to encourage communities to provide programmes
and services to the young unemployed has assisted 45,000 young men
and women.
In apprenticeship, the Commonwealth rebate for apprenticeship
full-time training the CRAFT Scheme has gone a long way to
lifting apprentice intake. Last year the intake was 42,000 an
increase of 8.5 percent on the previous year..
These employment and training programmes however are not designed
to help young people who have low motivation and self esteem.
Many children leave school with a low level of literacy. This lack
of success is often followed up by failure to find or hold work
and the outcome of frequently a negative attitude towards work or
self improvement. The education programme for unemployed youth
initiated by this Government was conceived specifically to break
this vicious circle and meet the very special needs of such
young unemployed people.
It is the first time any Australian Government has tackled this
very real problem. This programme has enjoyed remarkable success.
originally set up to help people under 21 years, it has now
been extended to the 21 to 24 age group and is now an on-going
programme in all States. During the pilot stage, which
ended last December, 57 courses were completed at 30 colleges
and institutions catering for some 800 students.
In this current six months, 109 courses are planned, 54
institutions will be involved, and 2,000 students are expected to
be enrolled. More than $ 1 million is likely to be spent on this
programme in the current period. All S1ttes are en-ui-asti
about the programme, particularly as some of the young people who
complete the course are returning to formal education on
either a full-time or part-time basis. This is an exciting
development in education as it offers new hope and promise for
many young Australians. ItC deserves wholehearted community support.
While all of these programmes are designed to meet an immediate
social need, they are not a substitute for sound economic policies.
We seek complete economic recovery with satisfying and lasting
employment opportunities for all. our economic policies are
pulling Australia out of the economic ruin we faced at the end of
1975.
Inflation is falling, interest rates are falling, taxes have been
dramatically cut, investment is increasing, and confidence is
returning throughout the community. These are the pre-conditions
to any sustained and lasting reduction in the levels of
unemployment and not irresponsible government spending.
The Government will continue to demonstrate our concern for the
unemployed through the imaginative development of our training
schemes and through firm economic policy. But in looking at
unemployment, it needs to be clearly understood that Australia
has still not recovered from the wage policies of the Labor years.
We are still paying the price and counting the cost of the wages
explosion of 1974.
Business and industry are reluctant to pay excessively high wages
when they can invest their money in labour savinq machines and
equipment. Business has shown it has the ccnfidenoe to invest
but it will not invest in new jobs that it cannot afford.
For this reason the Government will continue to preach wage
restraint wherever it can and argue strongly before the
Arbitration Commission for less than full wage indexation.
If we do not, we would not be fulfilling our obligation to every
Australian.