4 Reasons Young Australians Struggle To Find Full-Time Work – And What We Can Do About It

Half of Australians aged 25 can’t find full-time work.

Here’s why it’s harder for this generation to transition from study to work, and how you can increase your chances of success in the ‘new work reality’.

The working world ain’t what it used to be.

Older generations pass down the idea to younger generations: if you study and work hard, you will secure a full-time job. Young people are taught to expect that they will reach the milestone of full-time employment and independence by the time they’re 25.

But in Australia, only half of the 25-year-olds are employed full-time, down from 57% in 2006. (Full-time is defined here as over 35 hours per week.) And for those who are employed full-time, work is increasingly precarious. Around 1 in 5 either juggle multiple jobs or work full-time hours in a casual position with no security or benefits. This number has doubled since 1992.

Many young Australians would like to work more hours, but are unable to secure them. They are underemployed. Underemployment can have serious emotional, financial, and social effects on the person and those around them. Young people who are underemployed struggle to make ends meet, in a career that isn’t meeting their expectations, and are often unable to leave home due to their financial situation.

So the landscape of work in Australia has changed, but we continue to use the old maps. We hand these maps to young people and wonder why they don’t end up where they planned to be.

The Foundation for Young Australians calls it the ‘The New Work Reality’, in a report which sheds light on the real situations facing people 25 and under.

The new workplace demands new skills and experiences from job seekers and employees – and young people are often not adequately prepared. Australians are more educated than ever and less employed.

The mismatch between the map and the real world is proving challenging to young people, with many reporting that their job situation had negatively affected their mental health. “Among 18 to 24 year-olds looking for work, 28% reported anxiety in the previous year and more than 40% said they were affected by stress,” says Jan Owen, CEO of the Foundation for Young Australians.

The job clusters show groups of occupations in Australia related by skills, day-to-day tasks, and work environments.

The Foundation for Young Australians recommends that young people choose a broad direction rather than focusing on a specific ‘dream job’ outcome. This is because there are an overwhelming amount of different jobs in Australia – over 1,000 in fact – and people often learn new information whilst exploring a certain field, which leads them to choose a different, yet related, path.

Find a job cluster that fits your interests and strengths, then focus on getting the skills and experience you’ll need to move forward in that area.

The Technologists

These jobs involve a high level of skill and knowledge in using digital technology.

Early career jobs:

Possible job outcomes:

The Carers

Jobs that care for others and aim to improve their wellbeing, such as medical or care work.

Early career jobs:

Possible job outcomes:

The Informers

Jobs that provide information, education, or business services.

Early career jobs:

Possible job outcomes:

It shouldn’t all be up to young people to adapt to the ‘new reality’ of the workforce. In a changing work landscape, a linear path is no longer the norm. Our education system needs to adequately prepare young people for the new work landscape, helping them gain the skills and experiences that will help them make the shift from student to a full-time employee. The FYA’s report advocates for finding new ways to foster career management skills.

In an education system which creates students with technical and foundational skills but a lack of transferable skills, we should focus on building mental well-being and transferable skills that will help students get ahead.

And while the Foundation For Young Australians’ report advocates ways to get more young people into full-time work, it can also pay to acknowledge that not everybody wants to be in the 9-5. Rather than aiming for a world where all young people are employed full-time, perhaps the focus should be, instead, on helping young people reach their employment goals.

Whether that’s full-time employment or fewer hours to support other pursuits and projects, young Australians need greater support from policymakers, educators, and mentors.

Sources

The New Work Reality – A report by the Foundation for Young Australians