7T/
IIW 25 SEPTEMBER 1978
PRIME MINISTER'S INTERVIE WIH SYDNEY JOURNALISV; SYDNEY
QUESTION
What did you think of the Centrie-( Youth Job Centre,. Sydney)
Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER
I think it is a very good centre. Quite plainly a number of young peo.
are coming in and finding jobs and I think the success rate is
quite a reasonable one. There is obviously hope for improvement.
QUESTION Do you think there is a need for more centres like this?
PRIME MINISTER
This is something that the Government will be reviewing.
It is a relatively new development, as you know, t-4tat has comein
over the last year they have centres of this kind in
virtually each capital city. Tony Street will be surveying the
effectiveness of these kinds of offices I know; all the reports
that I have had so far have been enthusiastic.-When I was
having lunch down here I thought I would stop in and have
a look for myself.
QUESTION Was it merely a PR exercise for the Government or do you think
you could give the young people some advice, and perhaps promote
the Centre?
PRIME MINISTER
It is not a question of a public relations exercise-It is a
ma-tter of coming down and seeing for yourself what happens.
Just in exactly the same way I was in one of the classes for what
is called the Experimental Programme for Unemployed Youth.
These are kids who have virtually never had a chance in their
-lives, who are not well motivated and have no idea really what
they want to do. The kids in this office did know what they
wanted to do, did know what sorts of jobs they wanted to go for.
Quite a number hadn't been out of work long they might have
left a job lastE-Ffiday or whatever. In the other programmes,
to see people being given a bit of enthusiasm, having a concern
and interest in the future, maybe for the first time in their lives,
I think is quite an exciting experience. The EPUI scheme,
as it is called, is generally helping people whoT have never had
a chance, coming from broken families, difficulty families maybe
the teachers in the classes are the first people who have
ever shown any interest in their future and well-being.
QUESTION Did you discern any one thing from the Centre? I I
PRIME MINISTER
I don't think any one thing. I have discussed these Centres, and
the workings of the Centres with Tony Street on a number of
occasions and I have an impression which is very much the same
as his and that is that the people going into this Centre are
better motivated and in mant cases, I think, bettcr educatel
than some of the young unemployed. Therefore, they have more
chance of getting jobs and keeping jobs.
QUESTION
Have you revised your opinion of some of the young people being
dole bludgers?
PRIME MINISTER
I think we all know that there are some young people who want
jobs and find it difficult to get them. We also know that there
are some people-who abuse the system. I have never had an
omnibus opinion of any group. It is perfectly plain that in
Australia at the moment there are a significant number of young
people who haven't got a job and who would like to work and
contribute-to-society.
QUESTION
How do you attract people who are less educated to these Centres.
You mentioned that they were better educated...
PRIME MINISTER
I think these are but the normal Commonwealth Employment Service
offices provide the general service. This office, and others
like it in the other capital cities, provide a very particular
service to young people. We all kow that there has been a special
problem in that area. A number of the training schemes are
designed especially to help people up to 25. One of the
intiatives we took last year was to establish offices of this
kind. From all appearances I think it has been a great success.
ENDS