Queensland Government Submission
House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training
Inquiry into school to work transition
August 2017
1 Introduction
1.1 Education and training is a fundamental driver of social and economic participation. Investing in education and training will prepare Queenslanders with the knowledge, skills and confidence to participate productively in the community and economy.
1.2 In school education, the Queensland Government is committed to Every student succeeding. A significant objective in realising this goal is all students having positive transitions through schooling to further learning and work. The Queensland Department of Education and Training will work with every student to identify a post-school pathway that supports them to transition successfully to further study and work.
1.3 Advancing education: An action plan for education in Queensland highlights how the Queensland Government is preparing young people for the jobs of the future. Advancing education aims to ensure that young people in Queensland benefit from a world-class education. The plan highlights the role of schools to effectively support students to develop the skills and knowledge they require for work and in life. This is followed through by supporting students after they leave school to connect with further learning or employment.
1.4 In 2017, the Queensland Government released a consultation draft strategy for vocational education and training (VET): Advancing Skills for the Future. The strategy sets out the Queensland Government’s vision to ensure that “all Queenslanders are able to access - at any stage in their lifetime and career - high quality training that improves their life prospects and supports industry development and economic growth.” A key action is to strengthen pathways from schools and training through to higher education and employment.
2 Context
Queensland schools and students
2.1 In 2016, 794,815 full-time students in Queensland were enrolled in 1,729 schools across the state, Catholic and Independent schooling sectors.
2.2 Queensland schools serve very diverse communities and student populations:
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Nearly half of Queensland’s 1,239 state schools are located in rural and remote areas, with just over 21 per cent of state school students attending these schools. About 61,400 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander full-time students were enrolled in Queensland schools in 2016. Of these, 83.6 per cent were enrolled in state schools – making up 9.7 per cent of all Queensland state school students. From 2013 to 2016, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enrolments in Queensland schools grew by 14.2 per cent, compared with 4.4 per cent for all students in the state. Queensland schools have the second largest Indigenous student cohort in the country behind New South Wales. The Department of Education and Training (DET) recognises its legislative obligation to provide reasonable adjustments for all students with disability. This includes almost 31,000 full-time students with disability verified through the department’s Education Adjustment Program who were enrolled in Queensland state schools in February 2016. Growth in the population of students with a formally recognised disability outstripped total enrolment growth in the Queensland state school system over the period 2011 to 2016. The greatest levels of growth have been students with Autism. Students from refugee backgrounds often have interrupted schooling pathways, but typically have high educational aspirations.
2.3 A total of 50,629 Queensland students (excluding international visa students) completed Year 12 in 2016. Of these, 48,643 were awarded a Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) and 25,612 were eligible for a tertiary entrance rank. A VET qualification was awarded to 31,353 Year 12 students from 471 schools. Four hundred and sixteen students achieved the International Baccalaureate Diploma.
2.4 Destinations of Year 12 completers are evident from the Queensland Government’s Next Step destination survey. In the most recent survey, 40,110 of the 50,963 students (including international visa students) who completed Year 12 in 2015 participated. Their main destinations are provided in Figure 1.
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Figure 1: Main destinations of 2015 Year 12 completers, 2016
Key agencies
2.5 In Queensland, DET, Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (DATSIP), Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services (DCCSDS) and Queensland Treasury work together to improve education and employment outcomes for all young Queenslanders.
2.6 DET delivers high quality education and training services for Queenslanders at every stage of their personal and professional development. DET’s service areas comprise: early childhood education and care; school education; VET and higher education.
2.7 DATSIP has a strategic objective to increase economic participation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders through whole-of-government policy leadership and advice, and the delivery of programs and services.
2.8 DCCSDS’s vision is that Queenslanders thrive in safe, fair, resilient and prosperous communities. DCCSDS is responsible for supporting some of the most disadvantaged Queenslanders including children at risk of harm and their families, people with disability and people who experience domestic and family violence. Multicultural Affairs Queensland, within
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DCCSDS, has lead responsibility for supporting an inclusive, harmonious and united Queensland.
2.9 Queensland Treasury supports economic growth and job creation, including through the delivery of key employment programs.
3 Queensland reforms to support successful transitions
3.1 The Queensland Government has introduced significant reforms in recent years to ensure that Queenslanders gain the benefits of a rewarding and fulfilling education that sets the foundations for future success.
Education and Training Reforms for the Future
3.2 The Education and Training Reforms for the Future (ETRF) were introduced in 2002. The reforms included legislation to improve retention rates for senior students and improve their life outcomes. The laws introduced a requirement for students to attend school until they turn 16 years or complete Year 10. This compulsory schooling phase is followed by the compulsory participation phase, in which young people have more options as long as they are 'learning or earning'. This means they can continue school, undertake VET, study at university, do a traineeship or apprenticeship or work full-time.
3.3 The introduction of Senior Education and Training (SET) Plans was another element of the ETRF reforms. SET Plans are developed for individual students, outline their learning and career pathways in senior school, and help them make important decisions about their future education, training and employment.
3.4 The ETRF also committed to ‘record a broader range of learning’ to count towards senior certification. The result was the broader-based Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE), issued from 2008 for eligible students who complete Year 12. The QCE recognises VET, university, and other learning as well as traditional academic subjects.
Next Step and Early Leavers surveys
3.5 Since 2006, DET has captured valuable information about young peoples’ journeys from school to further study and employment through the following annual surveys:
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Next Step survey for young Queenslanders who complete Year 12; and Early Leavers survey for students who leave Queensland schools while in Years 10, 11 or early in Year 12.
3.6 The surveys involve students from all three schooling sectors, and are conducted approximately six months after the end of the school year. The results assist principals to review and plan their services for students. They also support DET to evaluate education policies as they affect the transition of students from school to further study and employment.
3.7 In 2016, over 40,000 Year 12 completers completed the Next Step survey, a response rate of approximately 79 per cent. More than 86 per cent of respondents were engaged in education, training or employment. A further 11 per cent were seeking work.
3.8 The response rate for the Early School Leavers survey in 2016 was approximately 50 per cent, or 5,000 early school leavers. More than 65 per cent of respondents were engaged in education, training or employment and a further 23 per cent were seeking work.
Investing for Success
3.9 From 2014–2017, the Queensland Government directed the Australian Government’s Students First initiative funding of $794 million to provide additional support for Queensland state schools. The resulting Investing for Success (I4S) funding gave principals the autonomy to make decisions based on the specific learning needs and prospective career pathways of their students in their local context. Schools and their communities indicate strong support for I4S, mainly due to the flexibility it provides for identifying local priorities for maximising student outcomes. Targets included improving the number of students who attained a QCE or Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (QCIA) on completion of Year 12.
Queensland Disability Review
3.10 In 2016, DET undertook an independent review to look at how Queensland state schools can lift learning outcomes for students with disability. The Queensland Disability Report was released in March 2017.
3.11 Consistent with report recommendations, DET is reviewing transition to post-school options for students with disability by working with government and non-government organisations, industry, employers and tertiary providers as outlined in our Disability Response Plan.
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Youth Engagement Plan
3.12 The Queensland Government is committed to supporting all young people to remain engaged with their education and make successful post-school transitions. The DET Youth Engagement Plan aims to improve engagement for at-risk and disengaged students. The plan, released in 2017, outlines a range of strategic actions including:
a Youth Engagement Alliance, which brings together government agencies and stakeholder groups to devise strategies to address complex issues faced by disengaged students; regional Youth Engagement Hubs that promote collaboration between schools, government and community organisations in the same region to support young people; and support to access high quality VET for young people who have been in out-of-home care.
3.13 The plan is an action under the Queensland Youth Strategy: Building young Queenslanders for a global future, which details the Queensland Government’s commitment to ensuring young people develop the knowledge, skills and abilities they need to be job ready for the future.
Advancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education and training: An action plan for Queensland
3.14 In March 2017, DET released a consultation draft of the Advancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education and training action plan. The plan is designed to be the overarching framework for driving improvements in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early childhood, school education and training outcomes for Queensland. Consultation on the action plan was undertaken during April - June 2017 across Queensland. The plan highlights a range of proposed actions to support transitions to post-school training and employment.
Senior assessment and tertiary entrance reforms
3.15 The Queensland Government will introduce new senior assessment and tertiary entrance systems from 2019. The new senior assessment system combines the flexibility and authenticity of school-based assessment, developed and marked by classroom teachers, with the additional rigour of a subject-based external assessment. New processes to strengthen school-based assessment will also be introduced.
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3.16 The reforms also involve replacing Queensland’s Overall Position (OP) tertiary entrance rank with a more inclusive rank that may include a VET or Subject Area Syllabus (SAS) subject as well as Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) Authority subjects. The new rank will take the form of an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), bringing Queensland into line with other states and territories. This will make it easier for Queensland students to access interstate higher education providers.
3.17 Queensland is redeveloping its senior syllabuses in conjunction with the new systems. The suite of new and redeveloped subject syllabuses is underpinned by attributes and skills that assist students to live and work successfully in a complex and rapidly changing world. These ‘21st century skills’ include critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, collaboration and teamwork, personal and social skills, and ICT skills.
4 Supporting students to obtain the skills and knowledge necessary for successful transitions to work or further study
4.1 The Queensland Government employs a range of strategies to prepare young people for success in work, further study and life. DET works to ensure that school students:
develop knowledge and skills in specific learning areas – for example, English, mathematics, science and humanities;
acquire general capabilities identified in the Australian Curriculum – such as literacy, numeracy, information and communication technology capability, critical and creative thinking, personal and social capability, ethical understanding and intercultural understanding; and
can access training to learn skills that lead directly to employment – for example, VET qualifications.
4.2 DET is committed to ensuring that all young people reach their full potential by supporting each student to progress their learning through each stage of their education.
4.3 Queensland schools are implementing the Australian Curriculum for Prep to Year 10 students. Queensland state schools’ implementation of the Australian Curriculum is guided by the Every student succeeding – State Schools Strategy 2017-2021. One of the principal aims of the
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strategy is to address the unique needs of students to ensure successful transitions through each phase of learning.
4.4 For students in Years 11 and 12, all schools implement the Queensland senior schooling curriculum. Schools use syllabuses developed by QCAA to construct and align curriculum and assessment programs. Schools provide students with opportunities to undertake a range of studies including QCAA subjects, VET courses, short courses, external studies, recognised studies, work experience and school-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SATs). SATs allow high school students, generally in Years 10, 11 and 12, to work for an employer and train towards a recognised qualification while completing their secondary schooling.
4.5 The Queensland Government’s Advancing education action plan is helping students develop the skills they need to prepare for the opportunities their future holds. Through the #codingcounts initiative, students are learning specific coding and robotics skills. DET is also building teacher capability to teach science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Queensland state schools through its Schools of the future strategy. DET’s Global schools through languages initiative is supporting state school students to interact with other cultures and achieve fluency in other languages, particularly Asian languages.
Assessing and monitoring student learning
4.6 Students in Queensland benefit from a range of approaches to assessing, monitoring and reporting student learning. Queensland employs school-based assessment, allowing for tailoring of curriculum and flexibility of assessment that enhances validity. Queensland also adopts standards-based (or criterion-referenced) assessment and reporting, meaning that students’ achievements are recognised against common state-wide standards in each subject.
4.7 Queensland’s formal program of standards-based assessment spans a students’ entire school journey from Prep to Year 12. A key purpose of the assessment program is to help students achieve the highest standards they can within their own capabilities. The assessment program includes:
Prep - Year 3 Literacy and Numeracy Indicators, which involve school-based assessment to assist teachers to monitor progress in literacy and numeracy;
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a range and balance of summative assessments for each learning area and/or subject in each year and/or band from Prep to Year 10 that correlates to the student’s assessment folio and supports continuous improvement in student learning;
formative assessment, including monitoring tasks and diagnostic tools, in Prep to Year 10 designed to track student progress against the relevant achievement standards and to provide the curriculum in a way that meets the needs of learners;
NAPLAN standardised tests for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9; externally moderated school-based assessment for Year 10-12 students undertaking QCAA Authority subjects; quality-assured school-based assessment for Year 10-12 students undertaking Authority- registered subjects, which have a vocational focus; and Learning Projects for Years 10 – 12 students who want to pursue an independent program of learning outside of the school.
4.8 From 2019, the formal assessment program for students in Years 11 and 12 will change to accommodate the new Queensland senior assessment and tertiary entrance system.
4.9 A range of other tools and resources are available for teachers to measure and support student learning across Prep to Year 10. For example, Early Start supports teachers to monitor student literacy and numeracy progress in the early years. Teachers administer Early Start activities at four points in time from Prep to Year 2. Responses are recorded into a school data management system, enabling teachers to make decisions about teaching and learning to ensure that individual student learning needs are met.
4.10 Another tool, the P–10 Literacy continuum, supports Queensland state school teachers to monitor student literacy development from Prep through to Year 10. The continuum identifies the literacy skills and understandings regarded as essential to literacy success. Teachers then use a monitoring tool to capture a progression of literacy development for an individual, class or cohort over time.
Vocational Education and Training
4.11 Queensland leads the nation in provision of VET for School Students. Currently, about a third of all school-based VET and more than half of all Australian school-based apprenticeships and
traineeships are undertaken in Queensland. There are a range of approaches to deliver VET
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programs in secondary schools across Queensland. These include: VET for school students, including SATs; and industry-school partnerships.
VET for school students
4.12 The Queensland Government recognises that VET options help prepare young people for the jobs of tomorrow. This is reflected in the numbers of VET qualifications awarded to Queensland school students. In 2016, 31,353 Year 12 students from 471 schools received a VET qualification. Significant numbers of qualifications were at more advanced levels:
Certificate III – 10,046 qualifications; Certificate IV – 598 qualifications; and Diploma – 1,337 qualifications.
4.13 In Queensland, VET delivered to school students is the same nationally recognised VET that is delivered to the wider community and is subject to the same quality standards required by the national regulator, the Australian Skills Quality Authority.
4.14 VET for school students activity is funded through: individual school budgets; DET’s Annual VET Investment Plan; and/or fee-for-service, paid by students/parents or a third party, such as an employer or community organisation.
4.15 DET’s Next Step 2016 survey indicates that the main destinations of Year 12 completers that obtained a VET qualification include:
Bachelor degree – 26.9 per cent; further VET – 26.0 per cent; and work (part-time or full-time) – 31.2 per cent.
4.16 School students with disability who undertake subsidised VET at a Registered Training Organisation may have access to specialised support services to ensure they have the same opportunity to develop the necessary skills and knowledge for success in work and further study.
4.17 Skills Disability Support (SDS) is a DET service that works with departmental pre-qualified suppliers to provide reasonable adjustment for students with disability who are undertaking nationally recognised training outside of a school or school Trade Training Centre environment. This includes the provision of assistive technology through loan arrangements and
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reimbursement of the cost of pre-approved specialised services for learning, for example, Auslan interpreters or disability support workers. 4.18 Take-up of VET pathways by culturally diverse communities, particularly refugees, is generally lower than that for other Australians. It appears refugee families tend to view university pathways as a more valid pathway to employment than VET pathways. Work to raise the profile of VET pathways into the future will help to address this.
Industry/school partnerships
4.19 DET continues to build partnerships between schools and industry to enable young people to acquire knowledge, skills and attributes to participate effectively in the Queensland economy. Two examples of industry and the education and training sectors working together to encourage participation in VET by school students are:
Gateway to Industry Schools Program – Through this program, industry organisations develop and implement school engagement activities in line with their industries’ skills and workforce priorities. Students are exposed to learning experiences to assist them in their career choices and pathways to employment.
Trade Training Centres in Schools – Secondary school students are provided with access to modern trade training facilities. The centres aim to improve the quality of schooling offered to secondary students undertaking trade-related pathways, and assist young people to make a successful transition from school to work or further education or training.
Work Experience
4.20 Work experience programs support school students in their transition to work and further study. DET provides opportunities for students to connect their school studies with workplace contexts and prepare for the demands and expectations of the working world. Through work experience, students can make more informed career decisions by assessing their interests and aptitudes, and by exploring potential careers.
Skilling Queenslanders for Work
4.21 The Queensland Government Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative represents a significant investment of $240 million over four years to support up to 32,000 Queenslanders into work through a suite of targeted skills and training programs. Disengaged students may
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become eligible, once they have left school, to participate in one of three programs that target young people:
Get Set for Work funds community-based organisations to deliver employment and training assistance to 15–19 year old early school leavers and disadvantaged young people to transition them to the workforce, further education and training or return to school;
Ready for Work funds community-based organisations and school Parents and Citizens’ and Parents and Friends’ associations to deliver courses on job preparation and employability skills to unemployed youth aged 15–24 years; and Youth Skills funds community-based organisations to assist 15–24 year olds engaged with Youth Justice Services or Queensland Corrective Services to undertake nationally recognised training and provide integrated learner support.
Queensland Youth Strategy
4.22 The 2017 Queensland Youth Strategy highlights the Queensland Government’s vision for “young people to be active participants in Queensland’s economic, civic and cultural life”.
4.23 Through the Youth Strategy, the Government will assist young people to attain the knowledge and skills necessary for successful pathways to work in an increasingly digital economy. Youth Strategy actions include:
funding eligible organisations to support 15-24 year-olds to build entrepreneurial and start-up skills, through the advance Queensland Young Starters’ Fund; and providing access to fee-free training for recent Year 12 graduates undertaking high priority qualifications with an approved training provider, through the Certificate 3 Guarantee and User Choice programs.
5 Recognition of skills and knowledge
Queensland Certificate of Education
5.1 QCEs are awarded to eligible students who complete Year 12. A QCE supports school graduates to improve their prospects for work and further study by recognising a broad range of learning to a set standard. Eligible students must also demonstrate that they have literacy and numeracy skills that are essential for success in further study or work. The QCE offers Page | 12
flexibility in what is learned, as well as where and when learning occurs. Students have a wide range of learning options. These can include senior school subjects, vocational education and training, workplace and community learning, as well as university subjects undertaken while at school. In 2016, QCEs were awarded to 96 per cent of Year 12 graduates. Students who do not meet QCE requirements by the end of Year 12 can continue to work towards their certificate.
Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement
5.2 Students who have impairments or difficulties in learning that are not primarily due to socioeconomic, cultural or linguistic factors have their learning achievement recognised and reported through the QCIA. The QCIA is an official record that students have completed at least 12 years of education. It provides students with a summary of their skills and knowledge that they can present to employers and training providers. In 2016, 877 Queensland students received a QCIA.
QCE Attainment Project
5.3 The Queensland Government is committed to ensuring that all students have the right educational foundations to support successful transition to further education, training and work. In 2016, DET implemented an individual case management approach to support all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in senior secondary to attain a QCE.
5.4 A QCE or QCIA was awarded to 97 per cent of Indigenous state school Year 12 completers in 2016, a 1.9 per cent improvement from the previous year. Furthermore, DET has almost closed the gap in Year 12 attainment rates of Year 12 certification between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous students in state schools. In 2016, there was only a 0.86 percentage points gap compared to 15.17 per cent in 2012. Where possible, Indigenous students who did not achieve a successful schooling outcome in 2016 are continuing to receive support to ensure they receive a QCE in 2017 or transition into meaningful employment or further study.
Tertiary entrance ranking
5.5 Obtaining an OP is currently the primary pathway for Year 12 students to gain tertiary entrance. Under current arrangements, to be eligible for an OP a student must study 20 semester units of Authority subjects and sit the Queensland Core Skills Test. Over the past
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few years about 50 per cent of Year 12 graduates have been eligible for an OP. Students who are not eligible for an OP but wish to gain entry to tertiary courses can apply for a selection rank based on schedules specifically developed by the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) for this purpose.
5.6 From 2020, the OP will be replaced by the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) and the QTAC schedules will be removed. The new Queensland ATAR will include a broader range of student learning in recognition of the role that VET plays in contemporary senior studies. Eligibility for the new Queensland ATAR will be based on:
a student’s best five Authority subject results; or a student’s best four Authority subject results plus:
– a result from a completed VET qualification at Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificate III or above; or – a result from a subject based on a Subject Area Syllabus – commonly referred to as a SAS subject.
5.7 Under the new arrangements, eligibility for an ATAR will be subject to satisfactory completion of a QCAA English subject. This requirement reflects the fundamental importance of English as a foundation for tertiary study.
6 Informing and supporting students in relation to post-school education and training
6.1 The Queensland Government is committed to supporting all young people to remain engaged with their education, optimise their opportunities for post-school pathways and make successful post-school transitions. Queensland Government strategies and programs support students to make informed decisions about their study and work options and help ensure young Queenslanders lead successful lives. Some services are designed for all students, while others provide targeted support to specific cohorts.
Senior Education and Training (SET) Plans
6.2 SET plans outline the learning and career pathways of Queensland students in senior school. They help students make important decisions about their future education, training and employment by encouraging them to:
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set learning goals in Years 11 and 12; think about their education, training and career options after Year 12 and make decisions about their learning pathways; structure learning around their abilities, interests and ambitions; and discuss learning pathways and post-school plans with parents, teachers and career guidance officers.
6.3 Schools are required to support each student to develop a tailored SET Plan while they are in Year 10. They provide students with opportunities to review and update their SET Plans throughout Years 11 and 12 to ensure they can maintain a pathway to future courses and careers they want to pursue. Development of a SET Plan should enable senior secondary students to be eligible to gain a QCE or QCIA.
Guidance Officers
6.4 Guidance Officers in state schools play a critical role in providing career counselling, as well as vocational and career support, to school students. The Queensland Government is investing almost $9 million in additional funds over three years from 2016 to ensure that every Queensland state secondary school with 500 or more students has access to a full-time guidance officer. The initiative will deliver fifteen (or equivalent) additional guidance officer positions each year from 2016 until 2018. In 2018, the remaining investment from this initiative will be used to strengthen guidance support to schools with fewer than 500 secondary students.
Youth Employment Program
6.5 The Queensland Government is committed to increasing economic participation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The DATSIP Youth Employment Program (YEP) supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people who are finishing high school and looking for work or considering further education.
6.6 DATSIP staff engage with ‘Year 13’ students through school visits or indirectly by distributing information about training and future career options. Following Year 12 completion, Year 13 YEP candidates may receive pre- and post-placement support, training referrals, soft skills training, links to job vacancies and assistance in applying for jobs. YEP staff also engage with businesses and local councils to develop pathways to employment through work experience
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opportunities or traineeships. YEP candidates are supported by an MOU and grants programs aimed at improving and sustaining employment outcomes.
6.7 A total of 813 YEP candidates secured job placements in 2016-17. From 2017, the initiative is expanding to target at-risk and disengaged students.
Targeted support for students with disability
6.8 The Queensland Government has a long-standing commitment to support school leavers with disability as they transition from school to adult life in their community. School students requiring focused and intensive supports may have access to specialist transition teachers, additional planning, specialist employment services and more frequent and extended work experience opportunities. DET also provides web-based resources to help prepare school students with disability to successfully manage the transition to life beyond school. This includes the recently released Planning Senior Pathways for Students with Disability to support the development of student-focused approaches that build the capacity for students to self-determine their futures.
6.9 State schools have the opportunity to request specialist School Transition Officers to support post-school transition for students with disability.
6.10 Queensland is transitioning to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) over the three years from 2016-17 to 2018-19. Eligible students with disability are transitioning to become NDIS participants as regions phase into the NDIS. Meanwhile, the My Future: My Life initiative has supported Queensland secondary students with a disability to prepare and plan for life after school since 2012. This Queensland Government-funded initiative provides workshops, financial assistance and other support to help senior students set future goals including employment, education and participation in their community. My Future: My Life assisted more than 760 students in 2016-17. Although post-school transitions for eligible students will be covered by the NDIS, the Queensland Government is committed to a smooth transition. In 2017-18, My Future: My Life will continue to provide assistance in locations that are yet to transition to the NDIS.
6.11 In 2016–17, DCCSDS offered support to 464 school leavers with disability. In addition to State Budget funding of $5.6 million, the Queensland Government redirected an additional $4.17 million from the existing budget to meet this commitment. The Queensland Government has committed a further $7 million to support school leavers in 2017 and will make further Page | 16
investment to support another 420 students who will leave school in 2017–18, in locations that will not transition to the NDIS until 2018–19.
Sticking Together Pilot
6.12 In June 2017, Queensland Treasury began the Sticking Together Pilot to support 15-25 year olds to transition into employment. The project will provide an intensive coaching and mentoring service to 90 young jobseekers and recently-employed young people in Cairns, Townsville and Logan. The pilot is based on the Sticking Together model currently being implemented in South Australia and Victoria. In each location, a coach will work on a one-to- one basis with the young person for 60 weeks to help them build their skills, confidence and resilience to cope with situations both in and out of the workplace. The coach will also provide support to employers to ensure the employment relationship with the young people doesn’t break down. The pilot is aimed at young people with moderate, severe and/or multiple barriers to employment.
Career Assessments for disengaged and at-risk students
6.13 According to the DET Next Step survey of Year 12 completers, approximately 13.2 per cent of Year 12 completers were either seeking work or not in the labour force education or training (NILFET) in 2016. Many of these students are well equipped with the capacity to transition into the labour market and further education. However, a small proportion are at risk of long term unemployment.
6.14 In 2017-18, DET, in partnership with TAFE Queensland, is providing career assessments to students in selected state secondary schools with high numbers of Year 12 completers who are either seeking work or NILFET and secondary schools with high proportions of early school leavers. Students in Years 10 to 12 may undertake the assessments, which inform SET planning and Year 12 pathways planning.
What’s Next OOHC Fund
6.15 DET recognises that young people who have been in out-of-home care (OOHC) face particular barriers to successful participation in further education and training after school. The What’s Next OOHC Fund is designed to strengthen learning and employment pathways for young people with a care experience by reducing financial barriers to their participation in relevant,
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high quality VET. The program also provides participants with access to individualised career and training information to support them to make good decisions about learning and employment pathways. Assistance available through the fund includes:
support to navigate the VET system and choose training that is delivered by a registered training organisation that meets their needs;
an assessment to identify potential careers that may be suitable; and
financial assistance to meet the cost of training
Ensuring students are informed of post-school pathways
6.16 A range of strategies and programs endeavour to ensure that Queensland school students receive appropriate, current advice to support their post-school transitions. Three of these approaches are outlined below.
School local labour market and training information profiles
6.17 The Queensland Government is committed to supporting young people to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary for future careers in industries and sectors with good employment prospects. DET school local labour market and training information profiles assist school principals and staff to align education and training to employment demand in the geographic area that surrounds their high school. Other education and training entities also use the profiles to plan where to invest resources to meet local labour market needs.
6.18 Profiles are compiled for 29 regions across Queensland. Each profile includes outlines the top 30 occupations and associated training pathways for employed persons; and top thirty apprenticeship, traineeship and VET course areas. The data is of particular relevance to those individuals who are intending to stay in the geographic area that surrounds their high school and seeking training pathways through the VET system. Students can also consider opportunities outside their own region.
Jobs Queensland
6.19 The Queensland Government established Jobs Queensland to bring together industry, industry associations and peak bodies, regions, communities, employers and unions to provide strategic advice on future skills needs, helping government to prioritise its investment in VET. Advice provided by Jobs Queensland contributes to a better understanding of
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workforce trends and priorities, ensuring that schools can encourage school students to undertake qualifications in industry and occupational areas that are ‘in demand’ in the labour market.
VET Pathways Program
6.20 The VET Pathways Program delivers professional development to Queensland secondary school staff involved in providing career advice to school students and communicating the VET opportunities available for their students. The program is implementing the following actions outlined in Advancing Education:
supporting student success by providing career advice; supporting students after they leave school to connect with further learning or employment; and working with students to select the VET course right for them using regional labour market data, university entry requirements and their education and training plans.
7 Closing remarks
7.1 Queenslanders are benefitting from more than a decade of education and training reforms designed to provide young people with a world-class education that sets the foundations for successful futures.
7.2 The Queensland Government remains committed to ensuring that children and young people in Queensland benefit from the life changing effects of education and make successful transitions to further education, training and work.
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