CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY
ADDRESS TO MYER SEMINAR, MELBOURNE, 5 SEPTEMBER
Ladies and Gentlemen, Young People
It was with particular pleasure that I was able to
accept your invitation to attend this Seminar.
1. Int erna . tional Youth* Year is a very important year for
Australia as a nation, and its young people in
particular. After the most careful process of consultation and
planning we as a Government have put together a
strategy Priority One that will improve and
integrate our many policies and programs for young
people. It is a strategy that makes an unprecedented
assault on the problems and needs of our young people.
In my address to the nation on 18 August, and in the
Government's Budget for 1985/ 86, we have outlined the
main components of that strategy. I pointed out that
the solutions we are seeking are not simple, cheap,
easy or swift and will need the full cooperation of all
Australians. Especially, we will be relying on the
cooperative effort of employers, unions and active
community groups everywhere in the country.
The initiative taken by Myers Stores and Target in
running this seminar program, is precisely the kind of
responsive attitude we need from the business sector.
At the heart of the Government's strategy is a
determination to see our young people properly
qualified for the work force. We want to see as many
of our young people as possible employed.
If our young people are to get jobs, they should be
properly trained and equipped for the work force.
2.
Our schools do a good job in educating young peopl--:,
but for some young people different or additionaltraining
is needed.
Most young people about to leave school are handicaPped
by a lack of knowledge and familiarity with the labDour
market. At least 100,000 young Australian school
leavers enter the labour market each year with no
further systematic vocational training. It is both in
their interests and the wider community interest that
some bridging mechanism be found.
The Government's response to this pressing need is to
institute a traineethip scheme. You will know from my
address to the nation that we are aiming to have 10,000
traineeships created in 1985/ 86 so that young 16 and 17
year old school-leavers can benefit from a combination
of vocational training and work.
By 1988 we will be looking to that 10,000 traineeships
becoming 75,000 traineeships per year.
The fact that 2,500 young people have participated in
these seminars seminars organised to explain job
opportunities available to young people, to guide them
in the best way of applying for a job and to provide
some work experience is proof positive that young
people are eager to acquire the sorts of vocational
skills that will help them make the successful leap
from the world of schooling and dependency, to the
world of work and independent responsibility.
You will not need me to tell you that the success of
the traineeship scheme the Government has now proposed
will depend heavily upon the willingness of employers
to take advantage of the incentives being offered by[
the Commonwealth, as well as on the TAPE system to
provide the off-the-job training that will be an
essential element of the program. Their cooperation,
and that of the unions directly concerned is crucial.
Areas of the labour market that we have already
identified as likely environments for traineeships are
the tourismn and hospitality industry, the banking and
finance industry and the retail industry. We hope to
see early progress in these areas.
The retail industry, with its 93,000 establishments
across Australia, and another 27,000 establishments in
the motor vehicle and accessories sector, is the
largest singl. e private sector employer in Australia,
employing about one million people. And there are
within this industry many companies large and small, of
similar goodwill and concern for young people as the
Myer Stores and Target. These willI be among the
forerunners in offering tCraineoslhips to young people
like yourselves in both the immediate and long-term
future.
Young people themselves will not be the onl~ y ones to
benefit from the training and valuable experience that
traineeships will offer, but industry too will benefit
from the better equipped and more adaptable workforce
that will result.
The traineeship scheme is, of course, only one part of
the total package of reforms and provisions that we
have adopted a-s our strategy for young people. It is
nevertheless the most immediate and relevant part for
those of you who are here today.
Indeed I should like to offer my strongest endorsement
for this approach by Myers Stores and Target, to
congratulate those of you who have put in your best
efforts to make the retail industry more efficient and
effective, and to offer my best wishes to all young
people who next year or in the near future will be
leaving school and putting their skills to work in the
labour force.