By examining responses to past economic downturns and recessions, both in Australia and internationally, this paper discusses the role of vocational education and training (VET) in mitigating the effects of economic downturns on young people and assisting them to move into employment. [...] The impact of COVID-19 on youth unemployment When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Australia, the strategies established by governments to mitigate the spread of the virus affected many occupations that employed high numbers of young people and had high levels of part-time and casual workers; namely, hospitality, retail and recreational activities (Atkins et al. [...] For young people who struggle to gain employment after school, increasing the relevance of the vocational pathways available in school and improving the transferability of the skills gained in those pathways following school are critical. [...] The following table summarises the roles of VET stakeholders and the current challenges or barriers to implementing the coordinated and nuanced services required for reaching the most vulnerable unemployed youth. [...] The challenges to implementing the VET approaches that best serve all young Australians are well recognised: coordination of policy and services; access to expertise in training and career advisory services; and resources to plan and develop long-term programs.
- Pages
- 18
- Published in
- Australia
