ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN TASMANIA 2005 A report for the Office of Post-Compulsory Education and Training This material has been produced as part of the Guaranteeing Futures – Environmental Scan Project in support of Tasmania: A State of Learning initiatives. Table of contents Acknowledgement This document is based on a report produced in 2005 on behalf of the Department of Education by The Write Business, which drew on existing research sources and the outcomes of project- specific focus group research. Copyright © Office of Post-Compulsory Education and Training, Department of Education, Tasmania 2006 Copyright in this work is owned by the Office of Post-Compulsory Education and Training and is protected by the provisions of the Commonwealth Copyright Act 1968. It may be used for non- commercial purposes only and reproduction in whole or in part for the purpose of furthering vocational education and training and community partnerships. Disclaimers The State of Tasmania, its employees and agents will not be responsible for any loss, however arising, from the use of, or reliance on this information. Every effort was made to ensure that the information contained in this document was correct at the time of compilation. Users should check for more recent information. Links to websites may no longer be current. In many cases the document can still be found by going to the home page of the suggested URL and inserting the name of the file into the site’s ‘Search’ function. Any recommendations in this document do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Education, Tasmania. Enquiries Enquiries about this document should be addressed to: Office of Post-Compulsory Education and Training GPO Box 169 HOBART TAS 7001 (T) 03 6233 4600 (F) 03 6234 4358 http://www.opcet.tas.gov.au Environmental scan of young people in Tasmania Page 1 Table of contents TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. YOUNG PEOPLE IN TASMANIA – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2. BENCHMARKS AND KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 3. INTRODUCTION 4. GLOSSARY 5. THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF YOUNG PEOPLE 6. YOUNG PEOPLE WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT NEEDS 7. THE PROVISION OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING 8. PARTICIPATION IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING 9. TRANSITION SERVICES AND PROGRAMS 10.PARTNERSHIPS 11.YOUNG PEOPLE AND WORK 12.THE EXPERIENCES AND ASPIRATIONS OF YOUNG PEOPLE Environmental scan of young people in Tasmania Page 2 1. YOUNG PEOPLE IN TASMANIA – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Executive summary 1 – Contents 1.1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................1-1 Introduction...................................................................................................................................1-1 The focus .......................................................................................................................................1-1 Guaranteeing futures ..................................................................................................................1-1 Guaranteed by legislation .......................................................................................................... 1-2 A key partnership: The Area Taskforce ..................................................................................1-3 Transition support and pathway planning.............................................................................. 1-5 Career education.......................................................................................................................... 1-6 Review and renewal .................................................................................................................... 1-6 Inclusive education...................................................................................................................... 1-7 Vocational education and training............................................................................................ 1-8 Flexible education ........................................................................................................................ 1-9 Young people and work............................................................................................................1-10 Destinations.................................................................................................................................1-10 Population trends.......................................................................................................................1-10 Measuring and monitoring .......................................................................................................1-11 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................1-11 1.2 RECOMMENDATIONS TO AREA TASKFORCES ...........................................................................1-13 Environmental scan of young people in Tasmania Page 1-i 1. Executive summary 1.1 Executive summary Introduction The Office of Post-Compulsory Education and Training (OPCET) contracted The Write Business to research and document an environmental scan of 15 to 24- year-olds for in Tasmania. Environmental scans such as this provide information about emerging external influences that may impact on the choices young people make as they progress through education, training and employment. The scan provides a snapshot in time regarding the current situation of the State’s young people and the services, programs and opportunities available to them. Appendices include information on services providers and demographic profiles. The scan is not meant to be read from cover to cover but provides an overview of policies and practices, and a snapshot of statistics and trends for reference as required. This Executive Summary and its recommendations, along with the Chapter 2 on Benchmarks and Key Performance Indicators and the At a Glance pages from the eight main chapters in the scan, form a more accessible summary. Statistics quoted in this summary, unless showing a specific source, are drawn from the relevant chapter of the environmental scan. The focus The focus for this scan is 15 to 24-year-olds. They are also the primary focus in reform of post-compulsory education because research indicates that if young people do not make a satisfactory transition from education and training towards sustainable employment by their mid-20s, they continue to be disadvantaged by many financial and social measures. Young people who participate in education and training beyond Year 10 broaden their horizons and improve their life chances. Each year in Australia, about 270,000 young people leave school. About a third leave before completing Year 12 and this figure has been consistent over the past decade. Seven years after leaving school, 7% of Year 12 leavers are unemployed, while for those young men who left school in Year 9, the figure rises to 21%. For young women who left school in Year 9, the figure is even higher, at 59%1. Australian youth participation in education and training has been rising since 1993. Tasmania has generally followed the national pattern, but most rates of participation and levels of educational attainment have been at a lower level compared with other Australian states. Tasmania ranks high in school participation by 15 to 19-year-olds, but rates for 20 to 24-year-olds, especially at university, are well below the national average. In rural areas of the State, levels of participation in education and training are also low. The Tasmanian Department of Education is striving to improve this position and is not alone – the Australian Government and other state governments are also introducing a raft of educational reforms designed to ensure that young people participate in education at least until Year 12. The experiences and aspirations of young Tasmanians are summarised in Chapter 12 and form a key component of the scan. A total of 265 young people – those at school, at college, at university or TAFE; those who are apprentices; those at risk of 1 Business Council of Australia (2003): The Cost of Dropping Out: The Economic Impact of Early School Leaving, Melbourne. Environmental scan of young people in Tasmania Page 1-1 1. Executive summary not completing their education; who are working, not working or seeking work; are homeless; have a disability; and young Aboriginal Tasmanians – contributed openly and honestly in discussion groups about their education, employment, family life and future hopes. Guaranteeing futures Tasmania: A State of Learning is a strategy for post-Year 10 education and training that aims to raise the post-compulsory education performance of Tasmanians by: • improving young Tasmanians’ participation in education and training beyond compulsory schooling; • building a skilled workforce with the capacity to support Tasmanian business and industry in a growing economy; • enabling second chance learning opportunities for people of all ages; and • creating communities that value lifelong learning. Implementation of the strategy's 27 initiatives started in 2004, with others to be developed progressively. These initiatives are encompassed in four key elements: • Guaranteeing Futures; • Ensuring Essential Literacies; • Enhancing Adult Learning; and • Building Learning Communities. Guaranteeing Futures is a strategic approach to meeting the needs of young Tasmanians in transition from compulsory education to independent young adulthood. This approach builds on current