The Morrison Government is encouraging Australian high school students and their families to make use of the free School Leavers Information Service to help them understand their future career options. The push to take up the free service comes as many school leavers face a disrupted final year of schooling. It is aimed at helping Australia’s next generation understand their options when it comes to getting started in their careers whether through further study, upskilling or going straight into the workforce.
The Enhanced Support for School Leavers program will reach over half-a-million senior secondary students at more than 3,000 schools across the country. Targeted at supporting the cohort of students who are in their final phase of schooling the effort will see Year 11 and 12 students, and selected Year 10 students receive information connecting them to best-practice career advice.
The School Leavers Information Service, delivered through the National Careers Institute (NCI), offers free and personalised one-on-one support through a career practitioner to help a school leaver understand the next steps they should take to reach their aspirations. Since the service was launched in October 2020 hundreds of students have booked personalised guidance sessions with the National Careers Institute’s Career Practitioners.
Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business, Stuart Robert, said the Enhanced Support for School Leavers program was a simple way to get younger Australians connected to basic information they might need to make decisions about education, training and work pathways.
‘As younger Australians reach the end of their schooling the world of work can be pretty daunting and knowing what choices to make when it comes to those next steps can be really challenging. We get that and that is what this effort is all about, connecting younger Australians and their families with a bit of guidance,’ Minister Robert said.
Assistant Minister for Youth and Employment Services, Luke Howarth said he encouraged all young Australians to stay busy, connect with mentors and network when considering their future career options.
‘If you are taking a gap year or if you are studying, do work experience, work part-time or travel to a region, this can really help shape-up a resume,’
‘There are also tools provided through the National Careers Institute that can help. I’d encourage everyone to keep an eye out for the School Leavers Information Service postcards that are being sent to schools across the country-they contain QR codes that we’ve all become so used to, and will help connect you to a wide range of career information all at the touch of a fingertip.’
