Book Chapter
What if you're not going to university? Improving senior secondary education for young Australians
J Polesel, M Leahy, S Rice, S Gillis, K Clarke
Educating Australia: Challenges for the decade ahead | Melbourne University Publishing | Published : 2017
Abstract
This chapter examines the transitions young people make from schools to further study and employment in Australia. These transitions occur in the context of a labour market that has seen manufacturing superseded by the service industry, credential inflation and a weakening of the role of trade unions. These phenomena have led to increased stress on young people, for whom work is increasingly casual, part-time and precarious. Although the majority of young people make a successful transition from school to vocational education and training (VET), higher education or full-time work, the outcomes for a significant minority are troubling.