Page 262 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 12 May 1992
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genuine employment, paying less than $25,000 a year; 96 ads surveyed attracted 3,655 inquiries and 2,649 formal applications and resulted in 794 interviews. The Canberra Times of 26 April reported the survey findings, which were that it is an employer's market, and experience and qualifications were specified for the most basic jobs. How are our youth expected to compete in this atmosphere? We need to be advocates and interventionists on their behalf.
The survey also took into account government jobs. The Department of Administrative Services advertised five ASO2 positions, paying $23,000 a year, and received 400 applications. The Department of Employment, Education and Training advertised one general service officer position, and got 206 applications. Similarly, this shows the extent to which the unemployed are still seeking work and how onerous their task is. How much more so would it be for the youngest of the group defined as unemployed youth? A lot needs to be done, and, as the problem of unemployment has been with Australian society for more than two decades now, I feel that a fresh and dynamic approach, involving all levels of government and community representatives, is needed.
I must register my dismay at the action of the Federal Government in denying the training allowance to 16- to 21-year-old unemployed youth. Legislation is being prepared to block access to the allowance, after several cases have been won in gaining the money so that these young people could get basic training. The Federal Government rationale for its action is to claim that the allowance was never intended to be paid to this group. How can this be justified when it is these young people, with already limited access to education after leaving school, who need extra skills to make them attractive to employers? Whom can the Government be aiming this assistance at?
The ACT Council of Social Service, as part of its activities for World Unemployment Day, has called on the Federal Government to expand the educational opportunities for the unemployed in courses where their qualifications will be recognised, create jobs that are socially productive, and abolish the excessive targeting and age-related payment system of the Department of Social Security.
So, what can we members of the ACT Legislative Assembly do? I feel that there is no lack of spoken commitment to resolution of the problem. Only last week, when the unemployment figures were released, the Liberal Party said, with great forcefulness, that deregulation could be looked at as one means of helping to get more young people into the work force. In the Chief Minister's speech on the Labor Government's program she identified the community and employment as a central focus for policy and planning. She said:
The Government ... believes that the community needs a clear agenda from the Government - an agenda which will allow business, unions, families and individuals to be confident about the future of our community.
Again, she said:
Above all, we must focus on job creation so that jobs are available to those seeking them.
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