PRIME MINISTER
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY
SPE~ ECH BY THE PRIM4E MINISTER
FOR THE OPENING OF CAREERS EXPO
* SYDNEY 3 OCTOBER 1985
May I say at the outset that AISEC is to be
congratulated on initiating, on organising and on
undertaking this Careers Expo ' 85. They have brought
together employers and young people about to enter the
workforce in what is the largest ever pro-recruitment
exhibition in Australia. This Expo is a marvellous
example-of a students organisat ion AISEC helping
other students. AISEC, I commend your efforts.
My Government, in addressing the problems of young
people in this, International Youth Year, has had a
particular interest in establishing long term policies
for Australia's youth. Unfortunately, the concerns and
needs of young people have been ignored for all too long
by previous Governments. But not by this Government.
It is widely recognised that the point at which young
people leave educational and training institutions to
enter the workforce is highly significant. This
transition period is of great importance to young
peoples' individual development.
It is also an occasion of great significance for the
whole workforce as new workers with new skills, vigodr
arnd enthusiasm take their places in the productive
enterprises of our economy.
It is most important that young people be given every
opportunity to learn about the employment possibilities
that exist in the Labour Market. Young people
increasingly need assistance in coming to grips with our
dynamic world, preparing themselves for work in rapidly
changing environments, and in making worthwhile career
choices.
A situation of great concern to my Government has been
the long-term deterioration in full-time employment
opportunities for teenagers.
Between 1966 and 1983, there was a decline of almost a
third in'the number of full-time jobs held by teenagers,
with more experienced, better-trained adult workers
taking an increasing share of available jobs in a
competitive labour market.
The increased availability of part-time work over this
period has not offered any real compensation, since it
has largely been taken up by young people still in
education. Curxrertly, for example, teenage school
students account Tor between 50 and 60 percent of all
part-time jobs held by teenagers.
The'se trends have been exacerbated by the lack of
opportunities for structured vocational training
available for school leavers once they are in the labour
market.
Those young school leavers who are able to obtain jobs
are increasingly finding themselves in what is commonly
known as the " secondary" labour market that is, in
low-paid, unskilled, often casual work, offering few
prospects for skill acquisition or long-term career
advancement.
And yet these raw figures and labour market trends do
not reveal what youth unemployment means in terms of the
loss of human dignity and self respect or what it
means in * terms of the breakup of families and social
alienation of a large number of the best and proudest
generation we have ever produced or what it means in
terms of the defeat of human hope and the defeat of
human spirit. Youth unemployment is the new poverty
within our midst and we are determined to redress this
lamentable situation.
Our policies are resulting in jobs, jobs and more jobs.
Remember that in the year before we came to Government
160,000 jobs disappeared and unemployment increased by
over a quarter of a million. Under Labor, in just 28
months, 430,000 jobs have been created.
I do not believe that there has been a comparably
important socio-economic achievement in Australia for
over three decades and young people are getting jobs
as a result of our policies.
In terms of youth, the Government has been concerned to
tackle their situation in an appropriately comprehensive
manner, and has announced " PRIORITY ONE" as our Strategy
for the Young People of Australia.
Our major priorities in this strategy are to increase
the general availability of jobs and to improve the
skill levels and competitiveness of young people.
We have placed particular emphasis on education and
training as key factors in improving youth's employment
prospects. We are acutely aware of the fact that the rate of
unemployment amongst people who have not completed
secondary school or gained any post-school qualification
is twice 4sJiighas that amongst those who have better
educational ' achievements.
Education and training are the key to broadening the
labour market prospects and earning capacity of
individuals, and ensuring equity in access to employment
opportunities.
Our strategy covers the primary areas of:
education and training,
employment, income support, and
community based support for the
disadvantaged.
Today I want to highlight particularly our traineeship
proposals, given that so many of Australia's leading
employers are participating in this Expo.
The Government is committed to developing an Australian
trainceship system as a major alternative form of
vocational training for young people who, for whatever
reason, do not complete their secondary schooling,
proceed to higher education or go into a technical or.
trade training position.
Unquestionably, traineeships offer a structured program
of work-based training and experience, integrated with
broad-based off-the-job training, mainly provided
through TAE'E.
The minimum duration of traineeships will be 12 months,
with an off-the-job training component equivalent to at
least 13 weeks.
Employers will enter into contractual arrangements which
specify the type of training to be provided, together
with other employment-related aspects of the
traineeship, and appropriate accreditation will be
available for the trainee on completion of the
tra ineeship.
Trainees will be paid a trainee wage by the employer in
relation to time spent on the job. This wage is to be
negotiated between employers and unions on an industry
or award basis through existing industrial processes,
but is to be no ~ lower than $ 90 per week.
Attention has focussed initially on the likely scope for
the development of traineeship arrangements in three
major privatesctor industries the retail, finance
and tour ism/ hos'itality industries.
As you are aware these are growth industries which
currently employ a large number of young people but
offer little in the way of structured training
opportunities.
The objective for this financial year is to generate
10,000 traineeships with plans for a progressive
expansion to an annual target of 75,000 traineeship
opportunities by 1988-89.
The Commonwealth is making a substantial contribution to
the development of the new traineeship system.
We will be looking to develop up to 20% of initial
traineeship positions in our own fields of employment.
We are talking about a substantial Government commitment
to nothing less than a radical transformation of the
existing avenues of transition from school to work.
Such a fundamental transformation will not be achieved,
however, unless employers, unions, Governments, training
bodies and the community work together in a constructive
manner. We must all share the responsibility to
generate training and opportunities for our nation's
young. There is much more that I could say about our strategyfor
young people-about other labour market initiatives,
income support arrangements and other community based
support programs.
But they will all be receiving publicity, and I would
prefer not to take up time here now which can be put to
good use in forging links between those of you who are
in the work force and have information and work to offer
and those of you who still face the daunting task of
finding your way into a useful and satisfying career.
Once again I commend AISEC for their initiative in
organising this Expo and for highlighting the importance
of pre-recruitment and in bringing employers and young
job seekers together.
It is with pleasure, that I now declare Careers Expo
open. 4T