Youth Jobs Program Cut
6 October 2014 at 10:09 am
The Federal Government has been accused of causing the demise of an employment resource that has been used by school students for almost 50 years.
Shadow Assistant Minister for Education Amanda Rishworth said $128 million in cuts meant that the National Jobs Guide would cease to exist from 2015 onwards along with the My Future website.
Rishworth said the funding cuts would make it more difficult for young people to find a job, with the National Jobs Guide used to help students in years 10, 11 and 12 select subjects that will help them with their future careers since 1971.
“It is completely unacceptable that Tony Abbott is cutting a critical resource like the National Job Guide, doing away with universal access to important information for our young people and replacing it with nothing but guesswork,” Rishworth said.
“Not content with ripping away one critical resource from our young people, Tony Abbott has also from 2015 cut the My Future website, leaving our students with no resource, no guidance and no advice during what is one of the most critically important times of their life.”
Shadow Minister for Regional Development and Local Government Julie Collins said the National Job Guide had helped millions of young people lay the groundwork to building a career.
“Young people right across the country, but particularly in my home state of Tasmania, need support and resources to get them into work sooner, not more cuts and broken promises,” Collins said.
“The abolishment of the National Job Guide will also impact school and career counsellors who rely on the Guide to assist them in supporting young people make informed decisions about their future.”
But Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education Senator Scott Ryan blamed the end of the Job Guide and the My Future website on the previous Labor Government.
“National career development resources, including the National Job Guide and My Future website, were left unfunded by the previous Labor government,” Ryan said.
“The Australian Government is investing a record $64.5 billion into schools over the next four years and is committed to ensure students receive a quality education that leads to meaningful employment.
“The Australian Government is funding a number of new initiatives to provide more opportunities for young Australians to participate in education or employment, including the recently announced Training for Employment Scholarships and Youth Employment Pathways programme. These programmes will begin in March 2015.”
