COVID-crisis trapping young people in low-paying jobs

Labor says the recession will hit young people hard — and wants more help with affordable and targeted education to help them find jobs, such as free education for in-demand industries. SEE THE PLAN >>

• Fears alleged cuts to education will hurt Tasmanian schools
• Children could miss 'a whole year of school'

THE state government should be doing more to help young people who have been disproportionately affected by the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, Labor says.

Opposition education spokesman Josh Willie said Labor has policies ready for the government to adopt to assist — and the problem was stark.

“We have a youth unemployment rate at 15.1 per cent, Since March 6400 young people have lost their jobs.

Labor's Josh Willie speaks to TAFE students Tyler Bakes and Nathan Sayers outside the Hobart TAFE on August 7, 2020.

“Last week, the Productivity Commission released some research showing that young people through the global financial crisis and after, were trapped in low-paying jobs, insecure employment and wage growth was particularly slow compared to other cohorts.

“We’re calling on the government to do more to support young people and adopt some of Labor’s policies in our COVID recovery package.

“Things like free TAFE for demand industries, expanding the regional employment hubs across the state to connect long-term unemployed with employers and jobs and also to mandate apprentice numbers on public works.

“That can be done with a quota. It can be done through the tendering process and compliance checks.”

Minister for Education and Training Jeremy Rockliff. Picture: Zak Simmonds

But Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff said Labor was deliberately ignoring the government’s efforts to assist young people.

“Our Government is continuing to focus on skills and training opportunities for young people and adult learners as we recover from COVID-19 and kick start our economy,” he said.

“The highly successful TasTAFE SkillUp training initiative continues to offer no cost or low cost training to Tasmanians to help those re-enter the workforce.

“And, the Commonwealth Government’s recently announced JobTrainer package will also support young Tasmanians with an additional $21 million dollars of Federal and State Government funding to be invested in thousands of additional low or no cost training placements.

“What Labor are proposing is only half of what we will be investing in training places through JobTrainer and by excluding private RTOs they would effectively be restricting the number of qualifications and placements that can be offered.”

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