Big Things on my Radar

 

Right now I’m glad I’m not looking for a job. When I joined the workforce (years ago), the Catch 22 for first-time job seekers was that every employer wants someone with work experience; but you can’t get work experience until you have a job.

The bad news is that this is still true! Only it seems, more so, with the unemployment figure for people aged 15 to 24, as high as 20% in some spots, notably west and north-west Tasmania, northern Adelaide and Cairns. I live in Sydney, and Parramatta is another youth unemployment hot spot.

Tony Nicholson of the Brotherhood of St Laurence describes youth unemployment as a disaster and warns that, in this situation, unemployed young people are at risk of never getting a foothold in the workforce and of being sentenced to a lifetime of poverty. He says that young first-time job seekers need advice; opportunities to gain basic skills; mentoring; and the chance to gain real work experience with a real employer.

Eamon Waterford of Youth Action (see their website) says that in Sydney’s Parramatta area lack of affordable transport and lack of affordable housing means that young people can’t get to where the jobs are. There is also a decline in blue collar jobs, he says.

If this is true, then our governments, state and federal, should step up. We already have too many people stressed out by high rents – not to mention the homeless! And good public transport is an infrastructure investment that will produce economic benefits long-term. Supporting blue collar jobs? Well that is another big need, one that has political implications, but should be on the agenda of all politicians committed to nationwide prosperity.  

The other job problem is youth underemployment and the casualisation of the workforce. I don’t blame employers, it’s the sign of our times that many small businesses are under pressure to survive. But it’s terrible for those workers who simply cannot get enough paid work hours.

So what is the answer here? Surely one answer is helping small and medium-sized businesses to thrive, to shed the burden of red tape and excessive regulation. If small and medium-sized businesses thrive they can employ more people, including young people.

There must be other solutions to the problems of youth unemployment and employment generally. I’m not a genius, so I’d be very glad to hear from anyone with good ideas.

Helen Briton Wheeler is the author of Day of the Diamond Earrings and the forthcoming Finding Felicity.