What if you're not going to university? Improving senior secondary education for young Australians

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 These transitions occur in the context of a labour market that has seen manufacturing superseded by the service industry, credential inflation and a weakening of the role of trade unions.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.