by Jeremy Halcrow

Girls who do not complete high school are less likely than boys to find full-time employment, says a new Anglicare report.
The report ‘Non-completion of Year 12 schooling: incidence, reasons, impacts and programs’ cites research from the late 1990’s showing that only 58 per cent of girls who left school in Year 9 were in full-time employment two years later.
In comparison 80 per cent of boys who did not complete school had found full-time jobs.
“The recent focus on the needs of boys in education has overlooked the fact that girls who do not go onto senior schooling face worse prospects than boys who do not complete years 11 and 12,” said Peter Gardiner, Chief Operating Officer of Anglicare Sydney.
“Anglicare is urging the state and federal governments to explore with us new ways of increasing the relevance of apprenticeships for females and to address the lower employment prospects for female early leavers, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.”
This Anglicare Sydney paper supplements a separate State of the Family Report from Anglicare Australia. Also released this month, the State of the Family Report focuses on the importance of a child’s education in breaking the cycle of inter-generational poverty.
Young Australians endure an unemployment rate two times the national average, with most employment growth over the past decade benefiting high-skilled workers aged over 25.
The report also draws on extensive primary research commissioned by Anglicare Australia into the Federal Government’s Work for the Dole scheme.
“Our research has shown that Work for the Dole is more effective than any other labour market program at finding employment for the most disadvantaged group of young people,” said Mr Gardiner. “We are calling on both parties to look at ways to improve the training aspects of Work for the Dole in order to boost the alternative education stream for the most disadvantaged group of young people.”
In fact, Anglicare workers in Sydney are utilising an innovative case management approach that is helping teenagers at risk of dropping out of school avoid homelessness and unemployment.
The approach links up homelessness projects, family mediation and job placement and training strategies to ensure that troubled young people remain within their family unit and in the education system.
Sarah Deuis coordinates both Anglicare’s Reconnect program and the Job Placement, Employment and Training (JPET) program at Cabramatta.
“Amongst the young people we work with, we’ve found a strong link between disconnecting from family and disconnection from school,” she said.
Anglicare needs more funding to continue its programs that help young people at risk of unemployment. Call 13 26 22 or visit www.anglicare.org.au