search

• Aspects
• Family
• Child care
• In study and work
  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • High school completion
  • In school and work
    • Trend: overall (%)
    • Table: summary
    • Table: participation type
    • Trend: Age (%)
  • Children's experience
• Community
• Health
• Crime and safety
• Economic security
• Demographics
• Age groups
• Essays
• Glossary

What does this mean?

In Kids Stats, in school and work refers to children and young people who are engaged in either full-time education or work, or a combination of part-time education and part-time work.

Why is it important to monitor?

The transition from school to work involves career choice, skill development and achieving independence [1]. It can be a critical time for young people.

For young people not continuing with full-time education, involvement in other activities is critical.

Young people are more likely to experience a successful pathway to gaining full-time work if, in their first year post-school, they engage in positive activities including:

• undertaking an apprenticeship,
• full time work or study, or
• part-time work and study [2].

Research has shown that young people who are not participating full-time in education, training, work or some combination of these activities are more likely to have difficulty in making a transition to full-time employment by their mid-twenties [3]. Further, young people who spend a large share of their young adult years unemployed find it difficult obtaining and keeping a job in later life [4].

Indicator

The indicator used in Kids Stats to monitor participation in school or work is:

The number of young people 15-19 years of age who participate in either full-time study, full-time work or a combination of part-time work and study as a proportion of all young people aged 15-19 years.

Study is meant to include vocational education and training (VET), and covers study through TAFE and other educational and VET providers. Study does not have to lead to a qualification.

Main findings

• In 2008, 86.1% of young people were studying or working full-time, or undertaking a combination of both study and work. 
• Age is a factor. Over the period 1996-2008 the proportion of 15-17 year olds participating full-time is consistently higher compared with 18-19 year olds .

Notes: [1] Australian Bureau of Statistics (1995). Australian Social Trends 1995.  ABS Cat No 4102.0, Canberra.
[2] Lamb, S & McKenzie, P (2001). Patterns of success and failure in the transition from school to work in Australia. Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth. Research Report 19, Australian Council for Educational Research, Melbourne.
[3] Steering Committee for the Review of Commonwealth/State Service Provision, CRCSSP (2003). Report on Government Services 2003. Volume 1: Education, Justice, Emergency Management. Productivity Commission, Canberra.
[4] Annie E. Casey Foundation (2002). Kids count data book: State profiles of child well-being, 2002. Annie E. Casey Foundation, Baltimore.

For details of the references and to find out more about the data follow the link to Glossary and further information.