Combining work and study

May 5, 2008, 6:44pm,  131 views

There has been a generational change in the in the number of young people in the workforce, according to Western Australia’s Fair Employment Advocate.

Researching a discussion paper on “Vulnerable Workers: Young People” advocate Helen Creed said she had discovered a quantum change in the rates of youth participation.

“Twenty years ago one young person in four had some form of paid work. In the past generation that number has nearly trebled to two out of every three young people,” she said.

Ms Creed said there are now far more young people combining work and study due to economic and social circumstances.

“Currently more than half of those in work are in low skilled part time or casual jobs in the retail sector. They are usually students combining employment with education, either at school, TAFE or university.”

Ms Creed says poverty is an issue for a significant number of young people battling to combine study and work.

The discussion paper looks at the obstacles facing young workers in getting a fair deal at work. It will be officially launched at the Youth Advisory Council Forum on Education and Employment, Directions for the Future, in Perth on May 8.

Comment: The issue of why more young people are in the workforce is worth investigating, also the social and economic impacts.

In Western Australia I guess it’s partly a response to the labor shortage. Across Australia it’s probably the need for students to fund their HECS debt.

In some areas, young people might be squeezing adults out of the workforce because their pay rates are cheaper.

I’ll link to the report when it’s released and make further comments then.