The NCVER has released the latest data from the long-running Longitudinal Survey of Australian Youth: Generation Z: life after COVID. The survey of Australia’s 15-24 year olds “brings together information from LSAY participants who commenced the program in 2015, using findings from their 2024 interviews to explore their engagement with study and work, alongside measures of their health and wellbeing. It also compares results from 24-year-olds in 2012, 2018 and 2024 to show how the lives of young Australians have changed over the past decade.”
It shows that there has been a decline in young people holding post-school qualifications when the 2024 cohort is compared with young people in 2012 and 2018. The authors note that the decline “reflects falling apprenticeship completions and a recent drop in university completions – likely linked to the impacts of COVID-19 lockdowns and delayed study pathways.”
At age 24 young people who hold a post-school qualification are most likely to be working or studying:
- 94% of those who have undertaken a diploma (as their highest qualification) are either working, working and studying, or studying
- 94% of those with a university degree
- 94% of those who have done an apprenticeship or traineeship, and
- 85% of those with a certificate as their highest qualification.
Amongst young people who do not have a post-school qualification: 57% are in work, 27% are combining work and study, and 5% are studying. Twelve (12) percent are not working or studying.
The proportion of young people working full-time has decreased over the past 12 years (down from 65% in 2012 to 54% in 2024) which the report’s authors note “may reflect fewer apprenticeships and higher skill requirements, as well as broader changes in the types of work available.”
The top barriers to finding work for young people who are unemployed are:
- 68% cite a lack of experience
- 53% a lack of confidence, and
- 45% an education and training gap.
With VET’s heavy emphasis on work-integrated learning (providing students with work-based experience) and smaller average class sizes than universities (allowing for more teacher-student interaction to build confidence) – the VET sector offers real opportunities to help young people overcome these barriers.
The report had some particularly good news – reflecting the inner resilience and optimism of young people:
- 82% of young people are satisfied with their life as a whole
- 73% are satisfied with their career prospects, and
- 70% are satisfied with their social life.
The report does though indicate a lower level of satisfaction with the money young people earn each week and very real concerns about the state of the economy – with only 24% satisfied.
